


Redemption

by Holy_Sekhmet



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Ancient Egypt, F/M, Prostitution, Slow Burn, Trauma, Violence, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:09:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 47,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22872271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holy_Sekhmet/pseuds/Holy_Sekhmet
Summary: Your life is not a glamours one, being thrown out of your family home and forced to take to the streets to survive you use the only asset you have, your body, to make ends meet. Taking up the name 'Sekhmet' for your work and to protect your own identity  you are comfortable sleeping with the highest payers in the criminal underbelly of Egypt to keep you fed. However a raid by the palace conducted by two high priests throws the life you had into chaos. Brought to the Pharaoh himself and told that it is your prophecy to become his next war advisor to lead Egypt to victory, could this be a chance to redeem yourself? Or will you fail to carry out the task set for you?High Priest Seto x ReaderHeavy mentions of prostitution, violence and all of that good stuff. Mature for later chapters and certain themes. Doesn't really follow the plot of the Anime/Manga but has certain parts more focusing on actual Ancient Egyptian facts being right. This is just an idea I've had in the works for a long time and I'm cleaning it up and finally posting something on here.
Relationships: Kaiba Seto/Reader, Priest Seto/Reader
Comments: 26
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

Egypt was a great and powerful nation, proud, conquering and the new living God, known as Pharaoh had allowed the land to prosper and the Gods seemed appeased. But with every great nation for as much of it as the sun touched, an equal part was wrapped in shadows. History tried to erase the things that happened. The grand statues of pure gold, the three great pyramids, the grand palaces and burial chambers. Often the people around were satisfied to revel in how wonderful their nation was built yet somehow were blind to the blood the slaves spilt creating such works.

“Sekhmet, welcome back” a man with three of his natural teeth to his name leered as she took the key to her room for the night.

The long black cloak covered most of her but when she was in the room she slid it off to reveal a much less modest outfit, Egyptian cloth clung and left little to the imagination. Silver decorated her arms, wrists, ankles and neck. Her makeup, the rouge applied carefully to make her as appealing to her customers. In the golden world outside her window the sun was dropping and the last sparkles faded. She had no ill will towards those outside, to the Pharaoh sitting on his golden throne. People had to prosper and an equal amount had to suffer. This was her place in the world, her atonement for going against the words of those who raised her.

Prostitution. Sex for money. This act was not frowned upon, in holy temples and high ranking areas, concubines were revered, sacred, respected even. This run down building, in the heart of the criminal back bone of the city was not a holy temple, she was not respected and she was not revered. Customers didn’t take no, didn’t have boundaries bruises on her neck, stomach… They proved that but this was the life she chose.

The door opened, her first client was here. She smiled elegantly and turned not that she needed to do much to impress but the act helped the game. They say sex brought you closer to god, the scripture taught it, at this rate she would rise to the name she was gifted, Sekhmet, goddess of war, protector of the Pharaoh and his armies. A fighter with unparalleled strength to never surrender, she laughed to herself at the thought of ever being so important.

The name was not her own, a cover for her work but she’d grown to like it, to take strength from it. The man was now behind her, she could hear haggard breathing and the feeling of fingers on her arms. She sighed and smiled another night where they all blended together and blurred into the same faces. She didn’t care they were her food, her water, her source of survival. The wheels revolved on money and this is how she made hers.

-

A rare break, a chance to clean herself up before the next client, the man seemed out of it, twitching still laying in a daze. It gave her time to fix her makeup before the next one.

“It is true!” suddenly he was on his feet her head snapped to him.

“You really do goddess, you bring me closer to them I can feel it!” oh now she remembered a regular, always requested her, despite the worrying amount he came he always paid well, so she brushed off the doorman’s offer to get rid of him.

“What are you going on about?” she asked bored.

“Let’s do it again, let me feel it again!” he staggered over and she offhandedly wondered could he even get it up again, his heart may actually give out and pushing him off her seemed hard, not that she couldn’t fight just that dead weight and lots of it was a pain to move.

“I have other clients and you need to pay” she hummed he was still advancing but his staggering made him hard to take as a serious threat, especially with no clothes on.

“Come now Sekhmet, we are destined… I don’t need to pay when it’s love” he leered.

She set her rouge down and sighed standing. She’d had about enough of the insane rambling and for him to even think she could have feelings for him made her want to puke. She was ready to take him, she didn’t think it would take much, but when he lunged at her thrown off guard with strength she thought was gone her confidence was turned.

The room became a wrecking site as she thrashed and hurled things, getting the same greeting. She yelled out to get out, to leave while he could but he was having none of it. There was an almighty crash and yelling, but with everything going on she couldn’t distinguish it as a separate event downstairs from the man grabbing at her. She was shoved down and her ankle twisted on the way. She cried out in agony but he was still coming at her. Out of options she shoved her hands up in an X shape to try and defend herself. She waited for the pain, the impact, the humiliation. She felt the resentment boil over and waited. But instead she heard howls of terror, opening her eyes an almost glowing white dragon illuminated the room, it was curled around her snarling at the man and he cowered in a corner, its golden armour glowed in the candle light and it looked back at her.

She struggled back unsteadily, had it decided to attack her? Was this a dream? It made no move but it was almost as if it was waiting for her order. She looked at the man cowering praying to the Gods for help she wanted him gone.

The door burst down and two men entered yelling as the dragon turned to them baring its teeth. With swift movements the dragon was under control and out of sight, the items they used were foreign to her and she was too out of it to connect the dots. The man however was not and lunged at them, not that he was any match for both of them. When he was dealt with they looked at each other.

“Seto, we can’t contain it ourselves without-“ The man was silenced as a man towering in golds blues and whites snapped at him.

“You think I don’t know that?” he sneered then turned on her.

“You get up now” he hissed and she flinched back remembering her dress getting torn at the shoulder in the fight and quickly covering herself. The other man coughed and turned his head seemingly embarrassed to see her like that the first simply thrust his cape at her with a cold scowl and told her again to get up.

She noticed the items again and this time studied them, the millennium items held by the court of the Pharaoh, his inner circle. But what were high priests doing in the worst area? She didn’t have time to question when the back of her neck was grabbed and she staggered on hissing as her ankle shot pain up her leg as she tried to walk. She turned back ready to snap only to be face to face with the Millennium Rod.

“Don’t make me use it” the man being called Seto warned and the other, wearing the ring held out his hand to stop the threatening.

She turned and walked with some difficulty and pain behind her as the men whispered.

“She’d been through a lot Seto…”

“I don’t care what she’s been through she’s a criminal and she was going to kill him with that Ka”

“She was trying to protect herself and gave no move to attack it’s how we managed to contain it in the first place”

“Listen Mahado I’ve had enough of you seeing the best in people why don’t you do some good and get that waste of skin out of that room and in a cell” that was the last of the conversation.

She wondered had she blacked out but the pain all felt real, when she got outside there were other workers on their knees, women like her, the door keeper, clients all on their knees long spears pointed… The Pharaoh’s army… This wasn’t a visit this was a raid.

When they carried the man who had tried to attack her past her she spat at him and swore. She was restrained by two guards and they held her down forcing her to her knees like everyone else.

“That dragon was Tefnuit, she is the prophesied one, you cannot ignore Isis’ prediction” the second man, owner of the ring, was back and he conversed with the holder of the millennium rod.

“She’s wrong this time, we cannot have a criminal near the Pharaoh” the familiar voice of the high priest in blue known to her as Seto.

The rest of the conversation was muffled, they’d obviously spread some distance. When they came back it was Seto who barked the orders.

“Get all of this scum back to cells, I doubt we’ll have any real challenge but we still have to exorcise the darkness from them” he shouted.

The guards hauled her up when a sharp ‘wait’ was called.

“Not this one… bring her back with us” he glared daggers at her and seemed to hate giving the order but none the less she was hauled up and pulled towards a horse the palace looming ominously now. She was headed towards her bleaker looking future but she turned and caught the two men’s attention.

“Thank you…” was all she offered, she had no idea what punishment awaited her but they had stopped that man forcing himself on her in a land where the laws wouldn’t have him punished… She wasn’t married so rape couldn’t be a crime against her. The holder of the ring actually smiled at her, the other, Seto, scowled a look that said don’t thank me.


	2. Chapter 2

  
  
Your arrival to the palace was not a pleasant one, you were dumped on the back of a horse and with all the bumping of the journey paired with not sitting upright you felt sick when you arrived. With little time to recover you were shoved through a large back door and the high priest snapped at the guards as you both entered.

"I want her washed of the filth she's coated in, then I want her dressed appropriately, when you have done that bring her to me" with that he turned on his heel and left.

You didn't like the orders but said nothing, what could you say against the might of high priests and the Pharaoh's army. Nothing if you wanted to be smart and live through the next night. Perhaps you could appeal... That other priest seemed to be sympathetic, the one you were getting dragged to after being washed and dressed not so much but you'd won over the scum of the criminal world before, a high priest could be a new challenge. You were thrown into a large glittering gold and white bath room. Large square pools served as bathing points decorated beautifully with crystal clear water in each a few women who were there looked up in shock but continued more hushed conversations as they watched you. You were ordered to strip and wash, you sighed you had no complaints the hot water may help soothe your ankle. The warm water was enjoyable and you appreciated feeling clean again, stripped to your bare face you felt exposed without the makeup but you weren't in any position to make demands, so with a few quiet mental insults towards the guards you enjoyed what time you had to relax. A short while later you heard a thud beside you and noticed a pile of cottons and linens, one set to dry yourself the other pile an elegant Egyptian cotton dress, colourless but far better than your destroyed one.

You dressed and slipped on the shoes you were offered letting your hair hang loose however it fell combing it semi into place. As soon as you were out you were being led, down corridors, through doors and quickly realised you had no way of even trying to navigate back or out. Even if you could get away you had nowhere to run. The guards banged on a door before it was opened, they bowed and left. You were then face to face with admittedly one of your saviours. You held your hands together in front of you. You decided to observe your situation, get more of a feel on what things you should say to be more favourable with him if it was at all possible.

"Well you certainly look more respectable" he looked you over and sneered.

"If you'd sent word in advance I would've made more of an effort for such high class company" you replied bowing your head but only slightly. You were a little more comfortable, more used than you should be to fights and whatever else. What still shocked you was that dragon, you put it down to a dream, a wish to be protected that manifested in your mind to try and calm you.

"As if criminals like you could ever make an effort that would actually impress me" he narrowed his eyes.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't add to the concubines in glittering temples sent by the gods to please you, not all of us have the choice to better conditions or the luck to be born into noble rankings" you sighed.

He looked down on you, maybe he was right to but against every odd you were still here still alive, taking care of yourself and that was something you were proud of. He sighed and closed his eyes shaking his head.

"I don't care about whatever awful upbringing you had, people always have a choice and I don't care much how you want to waste your life" he hissed.

"Then why have you brought me here?" You asked.

You had a few ideas but he fit none of them. He was not the type who would've needed to snatch such a low-ranking concubine for his own needs. His status would get him anything and from what you could see of his looks through the ridiculous head gear he wasn't in trouble there, other than that the next one was almost the most unlikely, that he would question the dragon. He looked at you, stared you up then opened the door fully.

"Come in, I can't allow such an ill-mannered whore meet with the Pharaoh without being properly briefed" he said.

You blinked at that as you stepped in, the Pharaoh? You were going to meet the Pharaoh himself? Was this some sort of joke? You were careful staying standing as he sat in a chair, messy papers ad scriptures littered the table in front of him and a flame flickered illuminating the room drowning it in a calming red and orange hue. He cleared his throat noticing you still struggle to walk on account of the ankle injury.

"Kneel... if it's more comfortable, do not sit on anything but the floor" He said and you raised a brow a smirk coming to your lips, ah he was that type.

"I'm more comfortable standing, I have been in a bed for quite a number of hours now" you said and he made a sour face at what you meant turning away.

"Yes well... As I was saying, after this conversation you'll be going to the throne room, once there we, the high priests, will pass judgement on you for your sins and decide your punishment, the Pharaoh will be present" he explained.

"Punishment? I had sex with men and took money for that service that is not a crime" You protested, and he held his hand up with a smirk.

"If you're so sure you are innocent then that will become apparent, I doubt it will turn out favourably for someone like you" he said in a casual tone standing his look serious again.

"When you walk in, do not talk to anyone, follow me and when told stand in position, do not move until the trial is complete" he talked you down as if you couldn't follow such simple commands.

You simply rolled your eyes and nodded, before you knew it your arm was gripped and you were pulled closer.

"I hope you understand the seriousness of the situation you are in, this is your life hanging in the balance, by a thread, the first thing you could do is show some respect and answer when you are spoken to" he snapped at you, clearly trying to come across as intimidating and to his credit you didn't feel exactly at ease.

But coming from where you did the power of the palace meant little and did nothing to help those looking out of poverty, they didn't help you why should you answer to him, he wasn't even the Pharaoh. You bit your tongue knowing it was ego talking and twisted your arm sharply before pulling back easily freeing yourself from his grip, one of the first defence moves you picked up. He wasn't happy but you bowed your head.

"Of course, I apologise High Priest, all this trauma has made me rather jumpy, I promise to be a good girl and follow all you say" you said it seriously but hoped he could tell there was no way you meant it.

Still it satisfied him even if the wording was far more sexualised than he liked to hear. The only other thing he said was a quick follow me and you left the grand room behind. You didn't speak to him as you walked nor he to you. There was something about him as you walked down corridors you didn't even try to memorise, something interesting and you almost wanted to see, to challenge yourself to get close to him.

The thought scattered as he pushed two large golden doors open and you shielded your eyes as the sudden light of flame reflecting on gold blinded you. Your vision came back to you and standing below the steps to the throne stood 5 people, all dressed in high class attire wielding millennium items. So this was the famous high priests. You didn't look at any of them long as Seto brought you to the centre of the room facing them.

"Do not move" he warned into your ear and you shuddered at the icy words.

He left your side to join the priests, all 6 now complete. They waited for a few moments before a second pair of doors opened and the Pharaoh strode in, the elegantly flowing purple cape, golds, the head piece and most importantly the millennium puzzle gave him away. He was conversing with a woman dressed completely in white and gold, they spoke in hushed whispers and he reached his throne taking his seat. His walk, the way he rested his chin on the back of his hand regarding the situation like signing a document. This man walked and breathed power despite his apparent age and height, you wondered should you bow? Seto hadn't mentioned that but with the striking purple eyes of the Pharaoh staring you down you lowered your head to what you assumed would at least be taken as an attempt to be respectful. The motion gained you a puzzled look before his gaze moved to his priests.

"Begin" was the one clear word and for the first time you felt fear for what your outcome would be.

Seto was up first detailing the events, the people and your role in it all. His recount painted you as a criminal, as scum and you had to ball your fists to stop you glaring outright shutting your eyes and sighing his testimony had basically dammed you. The next up was the wielder of the ring, he agreed with the testimony but added a few merits, how you had summoned a ka but it appeared to be your first time, how you made no order to attack, were seemingly defending yourself and came willingly with no protests. You took a small breath smiling lightly. The Pharaoh looked deep in thought at the information, and waved a hand.

A man holding scales stepped forward holding them in front of you and you almost took a step back trying to escape how heavy your heart weighed in reality, if you could. They trembled back and forth swinging but ultimately did not stop in an unfavourable position. The next event was an almighty cry and when you whipped your head around the glistening white dragon was back. It stepped forward curling itself around you and roaring at the priests threatening as it was before.

You were stunned, standing paralysed at it, you'd convinced yourself it was a dream and here it was again.

"Test it's power" one voice called.

"Her reaction is not that of one who has dealt with a Ka before" another male added.

The priest in blues and whites stepped out raising one hand before a female voice interrupted.

"Wait!" she almost shouted "This girl, she is the one who controls the dragon with the millennium eye on its armour, my prediction, my Pharaoh... this is the prophesied one" she said her vision now trained on the Pharaoh who had stood.

"Idiocy! We cannot have common criminal scum in a position that you are talking about!" Seto shouted.

The Pharaoh raised his hand to silence the outbreak in bickering.

"Isis' visions are never wrong... If this girl wields the dragon, then she is the one no matter where she came from, Seto I thought you of all people would've been more open minded" he scolded and the priest stepped back gritting his teeth.

The Pharaoh descended the stairs, smiling at you and you wondered what on earth was going on, what was happening to you, the dragon moved forward but you instinctively held a hand out and it backed away.

"It's alright to be scared, to be confused" his voice reached you and you were standing face to face with the ruler of Egypt, his hand was warm on your shoulder and he offered you a gentle smile, you were struck by how good looking he was up close and how different he seemed from the distant ruler you had first seen stroll in.

"Speak to it, give it a command, if you truly are it's ruler it's name will come to you" he encouraged you and you in turn looked between him and the dragon as he stepped back removing his hand.

"Tefnuit..." you spoke softly "It's alright stand down" you spoke clearer more confidently and the dragon let down its snarling demeanour disappearing as it had back in the dump before you were brought here.

"That settles it, she is the prophesised one" the Pharaoh spoke and you wanted to reach out to ask, everyone had spoken of it, but you were left in the dark, what prophesy and how would you be linked to something so important?

"For tonight I'll have a guard escort you to a room, I apologise for any discomfort you were caused on the way here, priestess Isis can explain everything to you in the morning" he gave you another smile and all you could do was just smile back.

Exhaustion was kicking in and you loved the sound of a room, of a bed, of sleep. The Pharaoh returned to the blonde girl in golds who smiled at you as she left with him. A possible Queen? You had no idea. The priests dispersed, Seto most notably unpleased.

"He is a good man really" You jumped and the man wearing the ring sighed.

"Apologies for scaring you, my name is Mahado, one of the six High Priests" he offered.

"No, I'm unusually jumpy after everything... Thank you... For saving me from that man" she said before two guards arrived to escort her... She supposed all would hopefully make more sense in the morning.

"It's what we do, I'm sorry about high priest Seto's treatment of you I'll show you to your room" he offered.

"Given what he said... He had me convinced I was guilty as well" she responded bitterly but followed the tall man.


	3. Chapter 3

Sleep did not come easy however, despite the exhaustion you lay in the foreign room looking up at the ceiling. You told yourself over and over, that in the morning answers would come, there would be more clarity on your newfound situation and you should be grateful to be in apparently such favour with the Pharaoh himself. Sighing softly you closed your eyes and forced yourself into sleep putting your thoughts that were only running round in circles from your mind.

The morning came and you shielded your eyes from the light squinting at the day, the room and memories of what had happened from last night coming back to you. This really was happening. You sighed and rubbed your face trying to wake yourself up before you rose, changing into the dress you received yesterday and fixing your appearance somewhat. You missed your makeup but for now would do without. When dressed and suitable to your standards, hair properly brushed and fixed you lingered by your window, the warm breeze hitting you as you took in your surroundings. From afar the main city seemed to glisten like gold in the heat. From up close however it looked different. Not sparkling but... Normal, it didn't exactly disappoint you, the palace was still grand beyond imagination and you still had to work around the fact you were actually here as a guest seemingly and not a prisoner.

You shook your head, enough time had been wasted looking idly out of a window. If you wanted answers you had to meet with Isis... That was what the Pharaoh had said. You were sure if you wandered around someone would be able to aid you eventually. When you opened the door however a guard stepped forward announcing his business.

"I've been ordered to bring you to the High Priestest, follow me" he was curt, professional and you were happy with that, talking first thing in the morning was not your strong suit.

You nodded and fell into step behind the man, glad you didn't need to hunt someone down for the task. With your recent luck you'd run into that priest... Seto and be looked down on again and you weren't quite ready to tackle his personality and shift it to your favour with so little to go on.

It didn't take long until the corridor opened up to a bright courtyard. Great pillars, pools and palm trees littered the grounds and you weaved through women washing, bathing and talking. You'd heard of what the Pharaoh's extensive harem could be like and wondered if anyone here or if everyone here was involved. Your thoughts were interrupted when a voice called to you.

"Welcome, please have a seat, help yourself to some fruit" the woman you had seen yesterday, this must be Isis.

"My name is Isis" she introduced herself and motioned to her necklace "this is the millennium tauk, with it I can see visions of the future, what is destined to be and what will happen" she explained, "and in one of my latest visions I saw you" she explained.

"Me...?" You paused your eating then waved a hand "sorry there must be someone else, I'm a... a nobody, from the worst part of this nation" you sighed.

"There is no doubt, the dragon that came to your aid was the one I saw in my vision, your fate here is sealed" she closed her eyes and spoke in a calming tone.

"Fate? What fate?" Your tone raised a little to the high priestess sick of speaking in riddles.

"The one who controls the hieratic dragon of Tefnuit, shall inherit the title of war advisor and tactician to the Pharaoh" she explained.

"War advisor...? I could never, I don't have any experience only in defending myself... honestly thank you for your hospitality but I cannot do what you're asking" you were ready to get up and leave.

"The course has been set... Priest Seto will teach you combat and monitor your strength as well as how well you can control your ka, Mahado" there was a pause and a fondness to how she said it "will teach you the basics of magic and both will aid you in strategizing" she explained "you will be ready when you are able to take down the current advisor Phut..." she finished.

"If you already have an advisor you don't need me" you said before a voice sneered from behind you.

"Phut is not in the mindset to continue doing her job to the standard needed, why are you so against this? You either train well and succeed her or end up in the dungeons, even if we let you back to your old life what good would it do? Your income would be shut off, your clients wouldn't trust you" he argued.

You looked up and towering over you was... High Priest Seto. You uttered under your breath frustrated by his words and how right he was. You didn't want to undertake the great task that was being thrown at you but where else could you go? A woman's only worth in this land was her price as a bride...

"I trust her to you, go easy she has just arrived" Isis spoke.

"The world isn't going to go easy on her Isis and neither will I, come on" he barked.

You supposed you had no choice and you stood following him in silence back inside the palace. This time you went down, it was darker here until it opened into a large room with a huge sandpit square in the middle. Thankfully your heel was much better, it seemed it was just a minor twist.

"This is the training room, this is where soldiers are trained and tested for the army, as an advisor power is your first priority, if you are a liability on the field how will the men ever follow your word?" he looked down.

Around you soldiers stood as Seto led you to the sand and passed you a weapon, a long golden spear, instructing you.

"This will serve as your weapon, a spear can be used as both good offence and defence, how you use it is crucial, these first tests will determine your skill already" he announced before leaving you waving as a soldier stepped into the sand to face you, a weapon also in his hand.

He was serious, he was seriously going to put you against the Pharaoh's army. You sighed to clear your thoughts and adopted a stance which gave you more favourable balance ready for defence.

"Begin!" Seto shouted and with it the soldier charged.

You were smaller and weaker than him but made up for it in speed. Ducking and dodging you used your prior knowledge and natural instincts to block, metal clanging off metal, swinging the spear in your hand you blocked one attack and moved forward elbowing the man in the gut before swiping his leg out from under him. You spun the spear around again and with a foot squarely on the man's back pointed the tip at his neck. You looked up at Seto hoping that would make him see you as more than just some 'whore'.

"Well if you couldn't even take down a trainee I wouldn't waste my time teaching you" he smirked, of course he wouldn't praise you.

The next soldiers came and you dispatched of each, climbing the ranks gaining confidence with each one. You stood defiantly looking at the high priest smugly.

"At least give me a challenge Priest" you said and were surprised to see him descend taking a spear off a soldier on the way and place himself in front of you.

"Beating a few one on one fights and acting confident will make you careless, have confidence when you've earned it" he sneered and came at you.

Within moments the air was knocked from you and you were on your back looking at the ceiling wondering what just happened, a dull ache spreading through your back. You cursed and pushed yourself up gripping your spear.

"You're a million years too early to take on me girl, you may have done well for an untrained child but you have much to learn" He laughed and you weren't happy at more insults.

"Again" you demanded this time you made the attempt.

Time and time again you had a face full of sand. Your body ached and your arms trembled as you tried to push yourself up. The grains and attacks left small stinging cuts in various places but you couldn't allow yourself to give up just because you were knocked down a few times.

"Have you had enough yet?" he asked, that smug bastard.

You sighed struggling to your feet and pushing your hair back, it was time to employ a different tactic.

"Yes... I see now I know nothing" you spoke moving toward him and whispering in a low tone so the onlookers didn't hear, "I wouldn't mind taking those lessons privately... In your room, I promise it'll be worth your while" you uttered basically chest to chest with the tall male.

"You... You are here to train not to...!" perfect, caught off guard you struck and had to work fast, you knocked the spear from him and reached for his other weapon, his precious millennium rod, confusion wearing off he fought back but not before you had him pinned the dagger end of the rod pointed to his throat the headgear knocked off revealing his full face to you for the first time. You'd been right, he was attractive, painfully so.

"I looked after myself among criminals who don't fight fairly, you shouldn't expect your enemies won't do the same high priest" you jabbed but the rod suddenly felt hot in your hand, your head had a thumping pain and before you knew it you were on your back, rod knocked from your hand and he had you pinned.

"And you should never let your guard down until you know your opponent is never getting back up" he sneered and you stared up into his blue eyes startled at what happened, he seemed confused and narrowed his eyes at you like he was weighing something up. He sighed and smirked backing off you and holding out a hand.

"I will admit, you finally showed potential with that last act, but I won't fall for it twice" he looked down, he seemed almost impressed.

You took the outstretched hand and pulled yourself up. He retrieved his millennium item staring at it in thought before back to you.

"Most people who touch the millennium items are completely overcome by darkness... evil, they are not to be taken lightly... but you... maybe Isis is right" he said half to himself more than anything else.

"You're training for today is over, next time we meet I'll begin to teach you, do not be late, you there" he turned to a guard "bring her to Mahado" he sighed and walked away from you as a soldier approached.

You stared at him as he left half wishing he would escort you but knowing that expecting that was like wishing on a star.

"This way..." the soldier seemed to regard you differently now and you smiled at the High Priest before turning and following the man out.

It didn't take long for you to reach another outside area were voices could be heard.

"Mana... will you just" a male voice that sighed heavily.

"Master it's so boring! I want to learn something fun" a female voice.

"... I can imagine" he sounded strained and you came into view of them both, the man wielding the ring you recognised as Mahado the other female you'd never seen. The girl seemed young and just as childish, you raised a brow watching the pair bicker, well the girl did Mahado seemed to be holding on to whatever patience he had left. The guard walked forward and cleared his throat making your presence known.

"ah? Who's this?" the brunette girl turned and ran up to you peering up at you, you took a small step back unsure how to answer the sudden question when Mahado stepped in.

"Mana, this is the new trainee war advisor... In time she will take over from Phut" he explained, "I see you made it through high priest Seto's trail in one piece" he turned to speak to you and you sighed if dull aches and exhaustion could be counted as a victory.

"Well, he's agreed to teach me" you answered.

"That's good, it's incredibly hard to change his mind but I'm sure in time he won't have a choice" Mahado sighed and nodded before motioning for you to sit with them.

"I get the feeling your relationship with him is strained" you smiled a knowing look, the rough streets and criminal underbelly of your upbringing meant you had somewhat of a skill to read people, of course you weren't a mind reader nor did you get it right all the time, you thought of how wrong you'd gotten that old man... and quickly pushed the thought out.

"High Priest Seto is needlessly harsh and nasty!" it was the brunette girl Mahado had named Mana, she clearly wasn't a fan.

"Mana..." Mahado sighed "we aren't here to discuss the personalities of those in the palace, we are here to learn, " he scolded.

"Since Mana didn't want to work this morning we can begin the lesson again" his gaze went to her and she looked down kicking the ground looking less confident than she did a moment ago.

"Alright but... I've never tried anything like this, what if I can't?" You sighed looking down at your hands you doubted you could conjure up fire, or whatever else, you wondered if that was even how it worked?

"The key is to relax, if you think you can't or worry that stress will not give you the clear mind needed, don't over think it, today is more of an introduction than an assessment, besides the fact that you can even see kas shows you have a natural aptitude" Mahado comforted you.

You nodded to say you understood and took a breath, you'd had experience in fighting but this was completely alien. However Mahado seemed much more patient and supportive than Seto had been so you simply listened to what he had to say about how spells worked how to channel it and watched on impressed at few examples. He'd called them simple but to you they seemed anything but, a book appearing, water in a cup that had been empty that sort of thing were examples he'd shown.

"The ones you'll mostly learn is combative or defensive, they require considerable strength and knowledge so for now we can start you on these simpler ones" he explained.

You nodded determined, something about this high priest just made you want to work hard and do well for his sake. His... apprentice seemed to care more about slacking off than working so you resolved to be a student opposite to that, after all he had saved you.

By the end of their time together you'd actually been able to get some water to appear in the empty cup, not much but a start and you felt pride at what you'd achieved. He smiled at you and nodded.

"You'll be just fine, everything can be attained by hard work but you also have a degree of natural talent" he approved.

"Thank you" you felt better about your situation, like maybe with training you could do what they were asking of you... not that you were being given much choice. After your lesson with Mahado you thanked him and received an over eager goodbye from Mana and a much more calm goodbye from Mahado you waved and made your way back into the palace, you supposed you should try to figure out some routes through the place. 


	4. Chapter 4

In the days and weeks that followed you had settled into the routine and navigated your way to the courtyard, the training grounds, your room and throne room comfortably. Your lessons were going well, Seto's training was as harsh as ever but you had come on well and liked to think he was impressed even if he never voiced that he hadn't made anymore remarks on you being a criminal or a whore which you counted as a victory in and of itself. Mahado was the more praising of the two by far but you felt it was less your own skill and more his own style of teaching and way of instilling confidence and encouragement that had you improving so quickly. Either way your strength had grown in your time there and you'd become at least amicable with Mana and Mahado even if the girl basically forced her ever cheery manner on you, other than that you didn't have much cause to chat to anyone else. You sometimes broached the topic of Kas to Seto and asked for certain input on strategies, while your conversation stuck to mainly lessons and other things you'd need to know it occasionally moved into what you liked to call 'joking jabs'.

Another positive was that on one day you'd been allowed with a guard as an escort to go on a trip to the city but most importantly to the market. There you were able to pick up some essentials at the expense of the palace. It was termed as payment for your hard work and effort as well as reimbursing the lost wages and saved money you had from your last workplace. It was worthwhile to request your own clothing, some nice pieces you could dine in and more practical ones for fighting, in plain cottons and blacks. Black would in theory cover up blood and not get as noticeably dirty on the battlefield. Along with that it allowed you to get your beloved makeup. You felt much more at ease and more yourself now you'd somewhat settled into palace life and were allowed your own possessions and styles. While still guarded, you went by your name, the one you'd taken at work, Sekhmet but disclosed your real name to no one but you did feel more yourself.

Today it was just past midday and you'd managed to share breakfast with Isis who seemed pleased with your progress and commitment not that there was much else to do or opportunity to shirk duties, it was nice to chat to her and not a male but not soon after you made your way to the courtyard where you had a scheduled lesson with Mahado. You didn't mind of course, and you'd been practicing all he'd taught you so far and were confident it would be a smooth lesson. As you rounded the corner you smiled and waved to Mahado but almost stopped in your tracks when you saw who was with him.

Sitting beside him on the ledge of one of the small courtyard walls was the Pharaoh himself, his striking tri coloured hair, those amethyst eyes now you saw them in the sunlight were fixed on you and he offered a smile. You weren't sure what to do and, in your stupor, smiled back, thinking it seemed very casual. You approached and bowed slightly before speaking.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Pharaoh, High Priest, should I come back later?" You asked wondering if they had important matters to discuss.

"Nonsense, Mahado is a childhood friend of mine, I actually came here to enquire about you" It was the Pharaoh who answered and you were a little taken aback that someone so important would concern themselves with someone like you. Yes you were to be his war advisor and you supposed an update on progress would be helpful but you'd assumed that the high priests would have given him the account rather than him coming to get it.

"Me? Well I suppose I've gained some skill since I came here" you answered honestly.

"Mahado do you think I could interrupt your lesson and borrow her for a bit" The Pharaoh directed his gaze to him and Mahado nodded.

"Missing one lesson won't hinder her considering her progress" he allowed and the Pharaoh stood looking at you.

"Walk with me" he said and you did, you were on edge naturally wondering what he wanted.

The courtyard had beautiful gardens around it and the Pharaoh seemed intimate with all the small back paths that held few guards where you could speak freely.

"How are you finding your stay here? I suppose coming from where you were to here had to have a big shock on you" he questioned, the first one actually to ask how you were since you got here. 

"Fine Pharaoh, in the time I've spent here everyone has been welcoming and I'm enjoying what I've learnt, it is a lot better than where I was thank you for the hospitality" you answered, trying to be polite keeping guarded. He raised a hand as if to say don't mention it and gave you a halfway smirk watching you.

"Please speak freely, since you will become a valuable member of my court I don't want you to feel like you have to follow a code around me, I need to trust those around me and they need to trust me, we can't do that with things such as what should be said clouding minds" he explained and he struck you as wise despite the looks of his age, as... different to what a Pharaoh should be yet somehow exactly what one needed to be. You simply uttered an 'I understand' and he continued to speak.

"Mahado speaks highly of your skill, he tells me you're a very hardworking student, eager to learn and fast to pick up skills" he mused.

"Oh... Well I think his teaching is more to thank than my skill, his lessons are easy to follow and he's very encouraging" you spoke fondly.

"He is that but he's also wise if he trusts your skill I'm perfectly happy to as well, as for Seto" he began and you muttered an 'oh boy' under your breath "he's also satisfied with your progression and tells me in time with the right guidance you should be a more than acceptable replacement for Phut" He finished.

"He actually said that...?" You were shocked honestly because it almost sounded like praise.

"Seto may be harsh with his words but he is fair, I almost thought he was going to use the word impressive to describe you, any praise is high praise from him you should have confidence" he seemed amused.

"Actually... Pharaoh one thing has been puzzling me" you asked slowly.

"Please ask me anything" he stopped and gave her his full attention.

"Phut... the current advisor... Se... High Priest Seto mentioned she couldn't do her job properly... Why is she stepping down?" You asked it probably wasn't your business but you hadn't met the girl so you were curious.

"Ah... She, she's following a different path, she has become a disciple of Ra now, she spends most of her time at the temple built for the god in worship rather than be present here, her heart is in that" it was the first time he seemed to need to think carefully about his answer, like he wasn't telling you all of the details. You didn't dare pry but it did seem uncharacteristic.

"I see..." was all you said looking down at the limestone beneath your feet you had many questions but few answers and you weren't in a position to ask.

"I've requested you be present at future dealings from the throne room, it'll be useful for you to see how we deal with criminals and their kas as well as getting a better look into how it all works, the information could be useful" he said.

"Ah, you mean like my trail when I got here?" You thought back to the day which seemed so long ago now.

"Yes exactly like that, except yours was cut a little short and sometimes there is no question of a person's guilt so we don't speak out reasonings, we can arrange getting you some experience outside of the palace walls later for now keep up the good work" he nodded and gave you a thumbs up.

"Thank you..." was all you managed to say.

He smiled at you and took your hands a motion that caused you to blink a few times to make sure you weren't seeing things.

"I want you to know you can trust me, if you have any concerns or worries, don't hesitate to find me" he gave your hands a reassuring squeeze and you received another killer smile before you were released.

"It was good to chat to you Sekhmet, I hope we'll have the opportunity to again soon" he spoke. It was probably just good manners but it really gave you a boost that someone as important as the living god seemed interested in your life.

"Me too, you're very different from what I expected of a Pharaoh" you spoke honestly.

"Oh? How so?" he asked curious.

"Well... You seem so open minded and down to earth, of course I can't compare you to any others but I get the impression you're a good ruler" you answered after a moment.

"Thank you for your kind words, I'll walk you back to Mahado I assume you know your way now from there?" He asked.

"Yes, thank you Pharaoh" you returned the smile and followed him back.

-

It was much later in the day when a knock sounded at your door. You opened it surprised to see High Priest Seto standing there tapping his foot impatiently.

"Come on, the Pharaoh has requested your presence at all future trials, one is taking place now you are to observe" he explained.

Ah, he'd mentioned that earlier, you thought back to the conversation with the Pharaoh briefly and couldn't get it out of your head, how could someone so open and seemingly kind rule both upper and lower Egypt with the iron fist that was clearly required. Perhaps it was the team he built around him, you didn't know. You simply nodded and followed Seto out glancing up at him from time to time reminding yourself how he'd actually half praised you in his report. To you it was a small personal victory and a step closer to unravelling the challenge you'd set yourself.

It wasn't a long walk, only this time you and Seto were the last two to arrive. The 5 other priests were there, the Pharaoh and the same blonde girl stood near the throne. Where you had stood before now stood a man shouting his head off about how he hadn't done anything, how the accusations were bullshit and just a way for the palace to seem like they are cracking down on criminals.

"Enough scum, we have all the proof we need" It was Seto that sneered the line towards the man.

When he tried to lunge the same ritual was started until a monster, a ka, that resembled a nightmarish demon was revealed. This time two priests, the one with the scales, the other held an ankh stepped up calling their own beasts. The criminal's ka knocked them back and they took a moment to steady themselves. The fight continued but the high priests could not match the demon. Seto about to move in stopped when the Pharaoh himself stood a face completely unlike the kind one you'd seen earlier. His look was a frighteningly cold hard stare as he descended the stairs and in a few swift moments took down the Ka his priests could not.

"He's strong, send him to the slave camp with the rest, he can do some good for Egypt for once" his tone was cold and laced with venom. You saw a completely new side to the Pharaoh there and then, this man could be kind and fair as well as rough and terrifying. This explained exactly how he ruled, how he was so suited. The priests scrambled and got the ka sealed and the man controlled. Two guards ran in to drag him off. The Pharaoh was seated back in his throne, his chin resting on his hand a cold stare following the man being dragged out. Excitement over everyone was dismissed and you made your own way back to your room.

Exciting, that was all you could come up with for the events which had taken place, powerful, dominant, dangerous yes the Pharaoh was all of that but he was also more exciting to you than you'd ever given him credit for. You thought in your room, about your day, your training and all you'd learnt. Still this new side to him made you think back to your conversation, he wanted trust, he acted like some sort of friend who'd be there but when his personality could seemingly so quickly snap you wondered could you be as candid with him as he assured you, you could be. 


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning you focused in on your fighting training. You were content to use it as a way to distract from yesterday and the concerns it had brought up. You put in all the extra hours you could in the hopes that you'd get into the sandpit and for once knock that smug smirk off Seto's face. He infuriated you at times, said things he had no need to in your opinion just to be needlessly abrupt and scathing. He seemed to be a man content to shove anyone and everyone away with disdain. You were currently training in your free time and after much thought you had to admit that his less than kind approach was in fact working. Would you try so hard if it wasn't to better him? Would you train so much to hear him not insult you for once if he praised you instead? How would you feel? Curiosity... You were curios about the man who guarded himself so closely.

You could also see where his harsh attitude came from, why he told Isis he wouldn't go easy on you because the world wouldn't before your 'trail'. These men he was training, you, one day all of you would be expected to go out and put your lives on the line to protect the throne and the pharaoh. If that was what he was tasked with he couldn't go easy on soldiers, they needed harshness, discipline and he took no slacking off, no complaining from anyone. From whispers you'd heard he was accepted into his high-ranking position from nothing because of his unprecedented test scores. You had to agree any topic you questioned him on he was extremely knowledgeable about and whether it was because he wanted to show off how intellect or if he honestly didn't mind answering you couldn't quite pin down. You still ended up on your ass more than you liked to admit trying to fend Seto off but you did feel somewhat closer to cracking open the mysterious person that he was.

Maybe that was down to your old profession, it was second nature to you to dissect clients and that carried on with you until here. Maybe you were bored and wanted a puzzle to solve, either way from your time under him, you'd learned from other's that he was both disliked and respected in equal measure. You found yourself finding him interesting and impressive, the biting comments at the beginning bothered you less each day and you didn't dread going for lessons to be talked down to because now you talked back just as quickly.

Snapping out of your thoughts you were back at the familiar training grounds. A few regulars that trained more than most were congratulating you on your progress.

"Sekhmet it's good to see you still improving" one shouted from across the room and you nodded to him.

They weren't bad people, far from it, dependable honestly and so far none had their heads in the gutter although you knew two of them were married and the third set to be. It wasn't your mission to know everyone's personal status but they'd spoken to you and you had no reason not to network a little. Friends could always come in handy especially if these men were going to be following your orders in the future.

"I can see why High Priest Seto spends much of his time honing your skill" one offered after you had thrown him on his back once again.

"It's still amazing how you can stand up to him with no repercussions" another pushed himself into sitting and you blinked before laughing.

"You act like he's some sort of demon, his bark seems far worse than his bite to me" you shrugged it off.

"It takes an incredibly strong person to stand up to someone like High Priest Seto" the soon to be ex bachelor was on his feet and gave you a confident nod, he was a leader of one of the factions of the army and seemed in support of you being the next war advisor.

"Or someone incredibly stupid" the deep voice cut through the easy going air and instilled tension in the men. You however turned easily and smirked up at the blue and white clothed high priest wielding the Millenium Rod.

"Priest Seto! Did you come here to train? I've been practicing, how about it?" You challenged.

"As much as I enjoying knocking you down a peg I don't have the time to waste and neither do you Sekhmet, follow me" he ordered.

You sighed and turning, thanking your training partners and handing the spear back.

"Keep it" Seto ordered and you blinked taking it back offering a quick goodbye and hurried off the sand to meet the impatient Priest.

"Another trial?" You asked walking beside him as she went toward the throne room.

"No, we are heading out" he said taking a sharp left leading you down an unknown path before it opened up outside and from the noises and wooden constructions around you could tell this was the stables.

There were buckets, hay and a young boy was running about clearly looking after the place. When he noticed Seto he dropped what he had and scampered over.

"High Priest... I prepared your horse as you asked" he said and pointed to a large brown stallion that stomped the ground with its foot and snorted air. It seemed like a good match for him, just as full of itself.

"Can you ride" Seto suddenly looked down at you.

"Me? ... I never have before" you answered, most men were taught but women rarely had the need or would travel in the company of men for any long distance trips.

"As I expected, you'll ride with me" he said and walked off to the horse.

You were quick to follow, he checked over the beast and you stood facing it as it stared you down. You smiled softly and slowly raised an opened hand towards it's muzzle. It backed up a bit giving you a look like, 'You dare pet me?'

"What are you doing!?" Seto snapped but you ignored him and laughed.

"You're just like your owner hm? It's alright I don't bite" you spoke softly and moved your hand closer. This time it stayed in place until finally your hand reached it. You gave it some time before moving to stroke along its jaw, it let you before nodding its head and ruffling its mane.

"That horse... bites everyone that tries to befriend it" Seto explained and you moved to his side.

"So it is just like you" you said amused.

"Just what do you... Never mind I'm sure it's a pointless thought of yours anyway" he said bitterly and mounted the horse reaching down to pull you up behind him.

You copied his stance and put your hands on it's back grabbing his hand to pull yourself up before your position quickly changed to wrapping your arms around his waist and holding on for dear life when he took off at speed with no warning letting out a surprised noise of fright which seemed to amuse him. You thought about saying something in return but what was the point.

"How is a war advisor to be going to save anything if merely this throws you off balance?" He sneered.

You said nothing, figuring you'd get your opportunity to get him back and looked around, soldiers on horses either side of you. You didn't recognise them from any training sessions so you simply pressed yourself closer to Seto your hands firmly gripping at his clothing. Through the light cotton you could feel the muscle there, not that you were in anyway surprised, but this close and painfully aware of what you thought of his looks, physically you were attracted to the man that wasn't something you would lie about.

"High priest what exactly are we going to do?" You asked.

He made an annoyed noise and hurried the horse up.

"It'll be easier if I explain when we get there just be quiet" was his response.

You took in the scenery as you rode, you wouldn't mind these excursions if you got to hold on to the great high priest every time. You did wonder where you were going but knew you weren't getting an answer. You decided to be patient until a large construction site could be seen up ahead. Great blocks of limestone were laying the foundations and as you rode closer shouts could be heard. At the entrance stood two guards, as tall as Seto. The horses stopped and the soldiers with you dismounted along with you. Seto grabbed your wrist to pull you to his side as you went to walk off and explore.

"This is the building site for the tomb of the pharaoh, the people here building it are some of the strongest criminals we've faced, they may be stripped of their Ka's but that doesn't mean they should be taken lightly, do not do anything stupid" he warned.

You pulled your wrist free and sighed at him giving your word to behave not that you meant to stay at his side. You all entered and you took in the surrounding construction. The soldiers went their separate ways, taking up posts, chatting, exchanging documents.

"We are just here to get an update then we have a separate mission" Seto spoke to you and you raised a brow about to question him but he was already walking to a small pop up tent which offered shade where an older man stood. Seto busied himself talking to him and you assumed he was in charge so Seto was getting an update.

Not particularly interested in the conversation you instead looked up at the rows of huge limestone. Rows of wooden walkways that looked less than safe supported workers, no criminal slaves was more accurate, who were constructing what seemed like the beginnings of a grand scale building. Nothing less for a pharaoh. You decided to stay on the ground floor and walked a short distance away, not too many people were on the ground floor you had a spear if anything went wrong. There was a small opening nearby and you peeked down seeing a gap in the stones. You smoothed over one of the stones with your hand. You didn't even hear anyone walk up on you until a voice reached you.

"Now what is a pretty young thing like you doing in a dump like this?" the voice was deep and you immediately turned spear gripped.

The man that looked down at you had a similar eye colour to the Pharaoh but muted... lifeless almost. His wild blonde hair stuck up at all angles and he grinned down at you the emotion not reaching his eyes unnerving you.

"Nothing that concerns you" you replied slowly.

"There is no need to be so cold my dear, here can be... dangerous I wouldn't want something to happen" his grin never left him until he looked past you and his expression disappeared.

"Yes well..." you said stiffly stepping back towards the tent where Seto had been.

The tanned man was more than impressively built, you didn't exactly want to start a fight and get an earache from Seto. Still maybe he was just being friendly, that seemed very unlikely.

"We've been speaking comfortably for a while my dear what's the rush to run?", his hand reached for your wrist "I think we could be great friends" a wild look crossed his face before a golden blade was pointed at his neck.

"Give me a reason you scum" It was Seto who glared at the blonde man.

He sighed like he was irritated and let you go, as soon as he did you were pulled forcefully behind the high priest. The stand off continued before you were dragged by the wrist back towards the horses.

"Seto!" You called forcefully pulling against his grip and he rounded on you not impressed.

"Don't do anything stupid! That was all you needed to do!" He scolded you.

"Me? I was just walking around and he came out of nowhere! I stayed near you like you said!" You snapped defending yourself confused why he was so angry.

He sighed and let you go crossing his arms and glaring down at you like you were a badly behaved child.

"Of all people I thought you would understand not trusting anyone especially when I told you what kind of people are constructing this place, he was wrong, it's too early to take you out on play dates I don't have the time to baby sit idiots!" he snapped.

You blinked scarcely believing what you were hearing. You crossed your arms right back and narrowed your eyes.

"Are you going to tell me why you are so upset about this?" You snapped in return.

He gripped your top and pulled you close a face like thunder at being talked back to he leaned in and whispered lowly.

"Do you want to know why he's in here? What he did to be here?" he hissed.

You froze shuddering at the voice trying to step back but his grip was vice like. You had sparred many times but this was completely different, the look he gave you told you this was serious.

"He murdered, not just one person but multiple, 17 that we know of, massacred, mutilated for no other reason than 'he enjoyed it' you wouldn't think it would you? You have to be on your guard around everyone and anyone" he warned and pulled back.

You blinked rapidly looking back to see the blonde man wave at you with a smile as guards had ran over and were shoving him back to work, the battering didn't even seem to phase him. You felt your blood chill.

"Are we done here?" You asked warily, and he sighed in frustration leading you back to the horses and helping you on again.

"This next location I can't guarantee no fighting, I need you alert and focused is that clear?" he said firmly, and you agreed shaking the sinking feeling from you.

Wrapping your arms around the high priest you looked up at him thankful he'd been looking out for you in there.


	6. Chapter 6

You were less than talkative on the next journey. Focusing on the sand and scenery passing by you watched some of the other soldiers. It was a rather quiet journey until a village came into view.

You took a deep breath and focused on passing buildings. Seeing the pharaoh's army had people stopping and staring whispering to each other before the group stopped and they dismounted. You looked up at the High Priest who had narrowed his eyes on a building, you assumed that was where you were headed for but still weren't sure what exactly was about to unfold.

"We've received intel that tomb raiders are hiding out in that building with stolen goods from the Valley of the Kings, normally grave robberies wouldn't be dealt with by me personally but it has been on the rise and they targeted one of the Pharaoh's tombs this time" Seto explained lowly to you.

Grave robbing? You'd heard of it happening and typically depending on the importance of the person whose resting place was defiled punishment could get as serious as death. You assumed that was what awaited the supposed criminals, given it could be proven of course.

"As I said, typically these type of criminals are cowards, they are thieves not fighters and tend to give themselves up in the hope of lenient sentencing but I can't promise they won't resist, stay by me and remember your training if things get rough" he warned.

You nodded and gripped your spear doing as he asked with no complaints. The soldiers marched after High Priest Seto's lead and you stayed close by his side. You got to the entrance and with a few hand gestures he ordered the soldiers to surround the building leaving two at the front with you while the rest split off to flank each side of the building. After everyone was in position Seto moved forward pushing the door and stepping inside. He scanned the room before announcing his presence.

"Anyone in here is under the custody of the Pharaoh, come out willingly and your lives may be spared" he spat.

There was shuffling and some men appeared from the depths of the dimly lit building. The small holes in the stone walls let little light in making it difficult to see. They seemed to all be older men, scruffy looking with scars littering their bodies. It seemed like they were thankfully the type to give up for a lighter sentence. At least you had thought that but why the gods would smile upon you and make your first outing easy? Of course they wouldn't, evidenced by a man standing forward and sneering.

"You think we'll lay down to you? The Pharaoh's lapdogs?" he spat at Priest Seto's feet who simply smirked back shaking his head.

"By all means, resist your pathetic little hearts out, all your doing is making the charges worse" he hit back, if he was worried about the number of men in front of you he didn't betray it.

"Oh believe me priest we'll be fine, you should've left the girl off the battlefield but we'll put her to good use" he leered at you.

Priest Seto narrowed his eyes and put a hand out moving you behind him readying himself for a fight. The hand to hand combat was quickly thrown out the window as monsters... kas were summoned. Seto stayed calm flicking his wrist out, three wing like extensions fanned out from the contraption on his arm.

"It won't take much to finish this low level trash off..." He sneered dismissively "Galestgoras!" He called out.

Suddenly a flash of light left one of the wings glowing and you stared in awe as a large red beast materialised in front of them fending off the onslaught from the thief's ka. You were so engrossed in watching the battle that you almost missed the sound of footsteps behind you. You turned just in time to block a dagger with your spear. One of the other's had tried to sneak up from behind while attention was on the battle in front.

"Give up now" the man spat at you and you adopted a defence position.

You'd done all the training, you could take one man you told yourself, he wouldn't be expecting you to be able to fight and you wouldn't of been sent had you not been ready. Steeling your nerves you began your offensive with a series of quick attacks the sound of metal clanging off metal heard against the background of roaring beasts. Your adrenaline pumped and pushed you to react quicker, to sharpen your senses, it was fight or flight and you didn't have an option to flee. Narrowly avoiding a jab which would have put a nice gash in your arm you hit back twisting the spear to hit the man squarely in the stomach, winding him with the blunt end. He doubled over making it easy to get him on the ground. He moved to use his dagger again but you reacted quickly slamming your foot down on his wrist. He cried out in pain releasing the dagger which you kicked away, he moved next to try to push himself up and you raised your foot again kicking him sharply across the face. You pointed the blade of your spear at his neck and glared.

"Give it up" you spat.

When you were satisfied he was listening you looked up to see Seto finish things up, the ka defeated and the man fell to the ground writhing in agony. With two men down with relative ease the others tried to make their escape running into the cold embrace of the waiting soldiers. Your heart race thundered as the men were rounded up and carted out one by one. A hand was placed on your shoulder and you jumped snapping your head round ready to fight again.

"Relax Sekhmet..." Priest Seto spoke and then patted you once on the back "not bad for a first battle" he smirked.

The offhanded compliment would've shocked you more were you not dealing with the reality of the situation. For the entire ride back to the palace you gripped the fabric of Seto's tunic loosely, much more loosely than you had on previous trips. He put it down to you adjusting to riding but in reality you were in a daze. The weight of battle, of fighting, of how serious this position was hit you, really hit you. Sure you had known that danger was inevitable, that having to injure offenders came with the territory. But it was so easy to tell yourself that in the comfort of training grounds, with practice battles that had no real risk. It was something completely different to actually being on the field and having to fight. The ordeal had really driven home what you were training to be and you turned your head to look at the prisoners, the soldiers but not really seeing them, like it all blurred.

It wasn't like it was your first scrap, but drunk men weren't exactly known as good fighters nor were they summoning monsters up to terrorise you. It was definitely something you would have to adjust to. When you returned to the palace the men you'd captured were brought to the dungeons pending their trial, from there their punishment would be decided. Priest Seto watched as they were brought down one by one.

"You're dismissed for now, good work today" he said tonelessly.

"Thank you" you muttered in response and scampered off.

You decided to go to the baths, hoping the warm water would help the leftover adrenaline dissipate, you felt utterly drained after the encounter and the waters helped to relax you and you closed your eyes and let out a breath. Amazingly you managed to clear your head thinking of blank nothingness as you took your time. Other voices cut your blissful silence short and you opened your eyes to shoot a glare at two girls who giggled with each other and used one of the other baths. If they were going to whisper and giggle the entire time you weren't going to get peace.

Taking that as your queue to leave, after all you had lazed around for considerable time, you got out, dried yourself and made your way to your room. Running a hand through your hair you ungracefully fell onto your bed staring at the ceiling. It seemed like hours passed and you were left alone in your room until a knock at the door forced you to get up and see what your caller wanted. A guard made himself known.

"High Priest Seto has requested you" he announced.

"Alright" you sighed smoothing your clothing out and following the guard.

Seto's room was relatively close to yours and you really didn't need the escort now you knew your way around well enough. Still you nodded at the guard as he left and knocked the door.

"Enter" was called out sharply and you did just that.

You walked in taking in the room once again, it was sparsely decorated but spacious, you would've called it more upscale than your own room not that you were complaining, your room was still far superior to any you'd had previously.

"Ah Sekhmet good, have a seat" he pointed to the other seat at the desk he was sitting at.

He stacked the papyri he was looking through and turned to face you as you sat. You noted the stark difference of actually being offered a seat paired with the last time you had been in his room.

"What do you need?" You asked.

"It's nothing overly strenuous, I'd like to hear your thoughts on today, you seemed overly quiet after the raid" he commented crossing his arms and leaning back in the seat.

"Well..." You supposed it was obvious the fight had shaken you but you'd had time to mull it over now and you could give him a proper answer on your thoughts "being on the field is vastly different from the pretend battles we hold here in the palace" you began "it definitely gave me new perspective and drove home the severity of the role" you explained further he nodded listening to your reasonings "overall I found it very useful, it'll take some adjusting to fully settle into being in battles... But experiencing it first hand is definitely the best way to learn and adapt" you finalised.

"Good, you've grasped things well, practice is all well and good but even trained soldiers can freeze up in their first battles, you managed to act and stick to your training which is promising, as far as your training in combat goes there's little else for you to learn other than to go on more excursions where possible, you'll accompany myself or other priests where possible, the more experience on the battlefield you have the better, Phut may not seem like a capable fighter from her looks but her title is no joke and her experience in the battlefield is something that will take you some time to match" he spoke.

You nodded, you still had yet to meet this mysterious war advisor who was seemingly so talented yet stepping down. Rather than voice your opinion Seto had more to say.

"From now on your training with me will be a little different, we'll work on controlling your ka, we need to ascertain its power but also teach you how to call upon other kas" he said.

"Other kas? You mean people have more than one? From what I understood I thought they were connected to a person's soul... I didn't know you could have multiple" you said.

"Yes while that is true for most as one of the Pharaoh's main court it isn't enough to rely on your own ka, it's also risky when you aren't trained with them, you saw that man earlier, if your own personal ka is defeated you may as well sever your soul from your body" he explained "that's why the court uses multiple kas that can be defeated without loss of life" he said.

"I... Sort of understand" you said.

"I wouldn't expect you to get all of it from that very quick explanation, in the coming weeks you'll be taken to the shrine of Wedju, kas will be explained and you'll get to see for yourself where the kas you can call upon are" he said.

You simply nodded before he pulled the papyri back to him.

"That was all you can go" he said abruptly.

You sighed and pushed yourself up left now with even more thoughts and questions to get your head round. He paused and stood facing you down.

"Actually one more thing, this training is the beginning of your most difficult training, controlling monsters is no easy feat and even summoning your own ka at will is challenging to begin" he warned and studied your face reaching out and grasping your chin lightly turning your face from side to side like he was inspecting you for something.

"You may have done well in combat training but I expect you to work twice as hard from now on, if you're to succeed Phut mastering kas is crucial" he said and finally released you.

You found the sudden contact a little disorientating but crossed your arms and sighed.

"You're a real slave driver Priest, but I can't argue against facts, if the opposition are going to use them having a spear isn't going to get me very far" you agreed.

"I'm glad you grasp the situation, alright get out, you better regain your energy for tomorrow" he said and sat back down not even sparing you a glance as he got back to whatever work he had.

"Goodnight" you offered and were met by a 'hmph' as you left.


	7. Chapter 7

In contrast the next few days were rather uneventful you were reading through a book Mahado had given you to study, to see if you could follow spells for yourself a few you were stuck with, some you got quickly, and others just seemed alien. Although they were near the back of the book, so you assumed they were trickier, you'd ask Mahado about that when you next saw him. After all you'd promised not to slack off like a certain brunette apprentice. You sighed thinking of the girl absentmindedly filling and emptying a cup of water which sat on your desk a spell you had now mastered. The last time you'd seen her she'd tackled you in a hug that almost knocked you off balance. Mahado had thankfully pulled her off but it wasn't something you were in any hurry to repeat.

Suitably brain fried for the night you closed the book with a sigh and stretched, you supposed after your time studying a walk would help take your mind off things and wind down for sleep. You decided a little bit of exploring would help you map out more of the extensive palace and see how well your navigation skills could help you out if you ended up lost.

The long corridor you had found, taking a few different turns in the sort of rough direction towards the back near the gardens, opened up with large pillars holding the ceiling above up and opening out to let in the warm night air as well as offer a spectacular view out over the garden. The flames lit certain sections and the stars that splattered the sky were so vivid that you took a minute to lean out and admire it. A few clusters you could connect and name but other than that the names, constellations and other information was lost on you. The view alone with the light breeze helped clear your mind and settled the thoughts racing around with all the information you'd tried to cram in within the past few hours. It seemed like all you had done since you arrived here was get caught up in your own overthinking. But you supposed you should allow yourself that given the complete change of circumstance you were in and had to adjust to.

Quiet footsteps made you look up and you were surprised to see a man walking towards you. He stopped then smiled seemingly as surprised as you were.

"What are you doing all the way over here?" He asked comfortably taking up the space beside you, looking out at the stars.

"Sorry, I felt like exploring for a bit to settle my mind" you explained quickly to the Pharaoh wondering if you'd stepped into a wing reserved for him or if you shouldn't be there.

"Don't apologise, you're free to wander where you like, I admit I often take walks to clear my own mind" he replied, and you felt a little relieved.

You were sure he had much more going on or thoughts he'd like to dispel than you had but you didn't press the matter. It felt nice to have something in common a moment passed with both of you saying nothing just admiring the stars before he spoke again.

"I'm glad we got this opportunity to talk again, I have a suggestion to make to you" he said and you turned meeting his gaze.

"What is it?" you asked, you wondered should you have added on pharaoh like everyone else seemed to, but something about your old life... the fact it was just the two of you now. He hadn't chastised you for it and nor had anyone else so you didn't see why you should fix something that wasn't broken.

You weren't exactly intimidated by him, but you were naturally on edge, despite your casual talk he still was the Pharaoh. It was difficult for you to suddenly trust the people around you or feel at ease especially when it had been just you looking out for yourself up until now. Seto was easy he was constantly insulting or picking at you there wasn't exactly any trust lost there and he'd made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction with you being there, although that was slowly changing. Mahado was just someone who taught you magic and the rest of the court you barely dealt with. You knew of course that no one here was going to dismember you or something equally as horrific but a Pharaoh being as open and nice to you struck you as off.

"The festival of Min will be held tomorrow" he explained, "it may not help your training or give you any pointers on how to strategize a war but I'd like you to be there, it'll give you an opportunity to get to know those you'll work with more closely and I'd appreciate being able to have an honest conversation" he smiled at you and you tilted your head.

"Of course I'd like to go, thank you for the invitation... but honest conversation?" You were confused, you'd always supposed you came across as cold, or closed off considering how little information you gave, you hadn't even given anyone here your real name, just your old work title. He took a step back and looked you over.

"Out of the people around me, the only other person who treats me as casual as you here would be Mana, but we've been friends since childhood" he explained.

You blinked, Mana? That seemed like such an unlikely pairing but you didn't question it. You'd had no idea you were coming across that casually, but it seemed like he was complimenting you for it so the apology you wanted to voice you swallowed.

"I'll send someone to get you before we leave" he said and moved placing a hand on your shoulder before continuing on his way. You turned and watched him go. The Pharaoh sure was an interesting person you never really knew what to think of him, but you admitted to yourself he seemed to be a good person.

You shook your head and managed with some challenge to navigate back to your room. Your mind wandered to what to wear tomorrow, you'd heard stories but never experienced any of the various festivals to honour gods and pharaohs. Min was the god of fertility and as such a procession usually occurred with a statue being carried through the city by priests, dancers, singers and other festivities followed then by a procession on the Nile. It wasn't just another excuse to bear children but more to do with the fertility of the land and appeasing the god so that Egypt may prosper. The Pharaoh had much on his shoulders, if anything went wrong in the coming year, it would be his fault for failing to please the gods. You were thankful you would just be a part of the procession and not actually anything to do with it.

You tidied your room a little before deciding that sleep would be most helpful if you now had a long day ahead of you.

-

The morning came fast and you rose promptly, picking out one of the nicer dresses you had and concentrating on your makeup if you were going to be around the key people in this celebration everyone else would be looking the part. As soon as breakfast was finished Isis approached you and told you the rough plans for the procession telling you just to follow her lead. You nodded, the only people still left around were a few guards and maids going about their daily duties. She led you out into the entrance, the large walkway up to the palace was filled with soldiers in formation, maybe 150-200 in all. Near the centre was a large statue hoisted up and carried on the shoulders of four men. The High Priests, Mahado and Seto you recognised immediately the other two you knew to see but not by name as you hadn't interacted with them much. In front of them on an impressive black stallion decorated ornately in golds sat the Pharaoh. He looked forward, he was dressed differently, a large deep red cape flowed out around him. His shendyt was longer than the usual one and a deep blue waist piece was layered over it. To top the whole thing off he had an abundance of golden jewellery and the lack of shirt made the overall look admittedly very appealing. By the side of the horse was an old man you hadn't seen before dressed well and to other side the blonde girl you had seen before equally as well dressed. Isis tapped your shoulder and pointed to the girl.

"That's Phut, make yourself known, you should shadow her for the day" she whispered and you nodded quickly walking over.

"Ah, Sekhmet, I've heard so many good things about you, sorry to have taken so long to speak with you I am Phut the current war advisor to the Pharaoh" she explained, you noticed her jewellery had a common repeated symbol, that of Ra but didn't mention it. Well now you knew she wasn't the Pharaoh's queen.

"Today is an easy task, I will walk you through it, although if you can impress High Priest Seto this will be a breeze" she teased and she had to laugh looking back at the less than pleased high priest who seemed to be bickering quietly with Mahado.

"I'm glad you came, just enjoy and relax" it was the Pharaoh who spoke down to you and you blinked looking up and momentarily missed the words of encouragement all together trying not to eye up the very well defined body he had.

"It's my first festival... Thank you for the invite I'm sure I'll enjoy it" you recovered with minimal embarrassment.

Beside you Phut laughed softly picking up on how you had stared.

"He has that affect" she whispered.

"What even on you?" You quickly bit back not impressed with the teasing.

"No... My heart has been set on something else for some time" she answered you cryptically and turned to look forward the procession starting.

The walk was simple yet long in the heat. Through the crowds that had gathered people cheered throwing grain and flowers as the train of people passed. Dancers and singers had joined the procession and you glanced around, Phut was just walking so you followed suit, behind you Seto's eyes met yours and he smirked at you, maybe the sheer look of loss and anxiety had been clear and he was amused at seeing you squirm. You sighed irritated at his amusement in your suffering and focused on looking ahead and pulling yourself together, you'd been told by 3 people to not worry about it so you weren't going to.

Eventually the procession stopped reaching a set of stairs that led up to a temple. The Pharaoh demounted his horse and the old man along with Phut following him up the stairs, you quickly followed and stood by Phut who was by the Pharaoh's side.

"The Pharaoh's advisers always stay by his side at all events" she whispered in an explanation and you nodded.

Isis ascended and gave Phut a large bag as the priests carried the statue up to meet them. The pharaoh faced the statue of Min and took out a small elegant golden ceremonial blade turning to Phut. He made a quick slash and grain fell out like a waterfall. Collecting a handful he scattered it over the statue as the crowd cheered. He stepped forward and spoke to his people, promises of good crop, fertility and a prosperous Egypt, he asked for this from the gods and thanked them for their continued support. When all was over the crowds slowly dispersed to have their own celebrations. The priests, advisors and Pharaoh all gathered before heading off to a nearby port where a long grand ship was waiting for you.

"After the first procession, the statue is loaded on and then we travel up the Nile where we can have our own celebration" Phut explained as the statue was loaded.

Rowers waited patiently as everyone boarded. Some musicians and a few dancers accompanied the trip and played music for the trip. You looked around seeing faces some you knew, some you didn't and decided to sit beside Mahado and Isis for the journey. You could ask questions and find out more about this whole celebration on your way there and if there was any etiquette to follow.

The boat had been sailing for some time and between how long the procession had taken and now the journey the sun was starting to lower in the sky. You broached the subject of what you should do, Isis smiled and Mahado laughed.

"This is more for relaxation, eat, drink, have fun and don't overthink it" he explained, and you nodded those were all things you were an expert in, tapping your fingers to the music you watched the Nile banks slip by.

Your eye was then caught by the throne near the middle of the ship where the Pharaoh sat and just sort of admired him. He was talking to the older man but his eyes met yours and they shared a smile before both looked away.

The sunset on the water was beautiful and you again took in the surroundings before the ship docked not long after and in the distance, smoke could be seen rising along with more people. When the procession got off and headed for it a feast was already prepared. After the long day everyone was more than happy to take up seats and gladly fill on the various foods of the grand feast before them. With food eaten drinks were then passed around in large amounts as music and dancers swayed for entertainment. The priests laughed with one another and everyone was enjoying themselves. You brought up a few topics with those near you to mingle and made a point to get acquainted with the others you didn't know but ultimately preferred observing their behaviours. Mahado used his skills to add to the entertainment. The now star filled sky was lit up with brilliant lines of colour shooting up and exploding at the flick of his wrist. You were so mesmerised you didn't even notice a new person sitting beside you.

"Beautiful isn't it" a male voice asked, you didn't even turn to look.

"I'll make him teach me..." you watched as the lights faded a soft laugh beside you.

"Always so eager to learn aren't you?" he asked and you looked to the new presence beside her.

"Oh, Pharaoh I didn't even... You spoke well today" you covered your ignorance.

"Thank you, how did you find your first festival?" He seemed genuinely curious as he watched you carefully.

"Honestly a little nerve wracking, I was always more accustomed to staying hidden or in the shadows I'm more suited to one on one conversation than working a crowd" you spoke freely, it had been true the shadows were your playground not this illuminated stage.

"You hid it well, it's a good skill to have" he complimented "still I get the feeling you aren't exactly comfortable here" he pinned you exactly.

"You're incredibly perceptive Pharaoh, I just need to adjust to my new surroundings that's all" you explained brushing the issue aside.

"I understand... It must have been an awfully big change I can see how some things may still seem foreign to you" he seemed in though as he responded.

"It was certainly a simpler" you hummed.

"It may be difficult but we are all here to help" he offered.

"Thank you Pharaoh" you said, it was simply feigned politeness but he didn't seem to take it as fake.

After your brief conversation you both drank more. A few other people spoke to you and you were feeling the buzz of alcohol when you decided to really let your hair down and be yourself. People had already left the table and started dancing but you found space in the middle where you could comfortably move and if you had one skill, it was dancing.

You felt eyes on you but didn't care, the music formed a pattern and your body flowed with it, your feet moved in time, arms flicked out elegantly and flexibility was not an issue. A partner would've helped but as you span around your dress flowing out around you no one seemed willing to take that place until she spotted a single person. He looked utterly miserable or fed up may have been more accurate with alcohol in hand obviously doing his best to avoid the music. You grinned, this was the perfect chance to get him back for enjoying your discomfort earlier. You stopped dancing and moved to stand in front of him hand outstretched in an invite.

"You aren't seriously asking me to dance are you?" He glared up at you.

"Why not, you seem to be having so much fun why not have some more" you smirked.

He opened his mouth to protest but simply batted your hand away. Not put off you stubbornly just held it out again.

"Do I need to cause a scene to get you to dance with me?" You asked.

"Ra please don't, if it'll get you to shut up" He groaned and took your hand standing.

Mahado and Isis sitting a short way away blinked and exchanged glances at the sight of Seto being coerced into anything especially something he wasn't fond of. Priest Seto lazily assumed a dancing position with you rolling his eyes before looking at you.

"If you hadn't enjoyed my discomfort earlier I would've left you alone" you hummed.

"So this is retaliation?" He asked as they began to move.

"I suppose, can you even dance?" You were genuinely curious he definitely didn't strike you as the type.

At that, what he took to be a challenge he gripped your waist and brought you close smirking down at you moving in a way that told you he did in fact know how.

"Do you think there's anything I can't do?" He asked.

"Oh I'll find something" you met his challenge moving more confidently, you weren't about to let him lead without a fight.

As with most things between you the dancing quickly turned to a contest but to onlookers it just seemed like two skilled partners moving to the music. Not that the sight didn't bewilder the people who knew Priest Seto's personality. The Pharaoh looked on amused glad to see his friend finally loosen up from the ever serious and cold persona he had. You broke and went your separate ways Priest Seto content to isolate himself again.

-

You sat by yourself on the journey back, taking in the view as you sailed. Your mind however was still back on land, you could still feel a hand on your waist, a strong hand in yours. You smiled ruefully and sighed, you were going to have a real problem on your hands if the two of them spent anymore time together like that. The festival had been a reminder of the intimacy you were used to receiving daily and now had not had in weeks. You hadn't altogether disliked your work, it had it's many downs but occasional ups. However faced with the handsome men on display your needs were more exacerbated. You looked over to see Priest Seto staring off into the sky and then your gaze moved to the throne again your thoughts back on the Pharaoh you found yourself thinking, could you really trust this man? Could you really trust any of them? Or had you already become used and comfortable to the arrangement before you? Tomorrow would bring on new challenges and new training to distract from these thoughts, for now you simply enjoyed the journey back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting through this chapter has honestly been therapy for my upcoming essay hand in date. Priest Seto and Ancient Egypt is just more interesting than obscure fashion trends of the 60s aha.  
> Since that hand in is on Friday I should hopefully be good to get another chapter of this up next week. The next part is half written but will be more of a training montage and getting our RC where she needs to be at, knowing me I'll redraft and fix it up like 20 times before I publish anything. Things will pick up and be more interesting after that, hopefully I can sit down and flesh out exactly where I want this to go so I'm not writing chapters blind haaaaa...


	8. Chapter 8

You supposed you had seen it coming in a way. The festival of Min had been a nice distraction, a break or possibly a reward to mark your advancement in training but now it was back to hard work and lots of it.

Your outings increased and while fighting was a rare occurrence on them it gave you an opportunity to get to know the other high priests. Shada and Karim were the two priests who most often ventured out of the palace besides Seto. Isis and Akhenaden mainly stayed within the palace and Mahado went out now and then. Both Shada and Karim took their roles very seriously and seemed to have no problem accepting you as trainee war advisor into the court of the Pharaoh. The first time you were out of the palace grounds since the raid with Seto was with Karim, he had taught you the basics of riding a horse which you were more than grateful for and with some practice your confidence grew. He struct you as something of an older brother type figure in the court and seemed to look out for those around him including you when he could. Horse riding was something you would have to learn if you were going to be in battle and being able to ride on your own gave you a sense of freedom in a way, to know you wouldn’t need to rely on a man for transport. It would naturally be a while before you tore off across the desert or fought on horseback, but simple trotting was comfortable to you with some practice. You found it strange not having biting comments or warnings hissed at you considering the majority of your time and training was spent with Seto. Did you miss him…? You quickly shook that notion off, missing being insulted? You’d have to be delusional. Despite his short praise after the raid it quickly returned to normal. Much to your dismay your new training had been less than inspiring.

Supposedly just being able to see Kas was a sign that you were somewhat of a natural in the area given that civilians typically were unable to see anything.

For the introduction to your training you were back at the priest in white and blues side. After showing up at your door he escorted you to the shrine of Wedju, a short distance from the palace but still within its confines. It gave more of a sense to just how expansive the palace and its grounds were, like a small bustling village of it’s own built from the finest limestone. The shrine towered up into the sky almost matching the palace in height. The interior was held up by pillars and fires burned to illuminate what the shrine held. You looked around in awe at the slabs which lined the walls in every direction, reaching from the floor to the ceiling.

“Don’t just stand there, come on” Seto snapped.

You quickly snapped your head back to him seeing he had already began to climb stairs in the centre of the room. Following him up until the stairs levelled out onto a platform giving a better view of all the slabs around you he began to explain.

“Each slab you see is a ka captured from a criminal after judgement has been passed” he elaborated “the strength of a person’s ba will determine the strength of their ka” he moved to show you the contraption on his arm he had used before.

“This is a diadhank, with this select few are able to call forth any of the kas you see here” he began “it can also be used to call forth your own ka but as your own ka is directly linked to your ba do so with caution” he warned.

“So it’s summoned… like magic?” You asked wrapping your head around, or trying to, how this all worked.

“I suppose you could put it like that, this gauge shows your ba level” he flicked the wings of the diadhank out and the gauge was lit, full.

“Battle and calling forth kas will deplete this, it’s crucial you don’t let the gauge run out” he said.

“What happens if it does?” You asked.

“Well that’s simple, you’ll die” he said like it was a passing comment and not something critical.

“Don’t look so worried, your ba can be recovered through rest, just don’t get caught in a situation you can’t get out of” he said, again completely downplaying the severity.

Oh of course, that would be so simple on the battlefield, you thought bitterly.

“Now that you understand a little more on how kas work, it’s time to start your training” he said.

With that you departed from the shrine and made the short trip back to the training grounds. He presented you with your own diadhank and you put it on, it easily clicked into place even if it was a bit heavy for your liking, you supposed you’d just get used to it in time and given the ability it granted it was invaluable. It seemed simple enough, flick the wings out and call the name of a ka right?

You watched as Seto did exactly that, like it was effortless, it probably was to him, standing in front of you he adopted a fighting stance flicked out his arm and shouted the name of a ka. In a flash of brilliant light a large creature that resembled an ox with armour appeared in the training grounds grunting at you threateningly. It leered at well over 8ft tall and you found yourself taking a step back reflexively.   
“Your turn” he smirked “your own ka will probably be the easiest to call forth since you have more of a connection with it than a ka from the shrine, we’ll focus on summoning it first and get an idea of it’s power” he explained.

Nodding at his explanation you felt you could manage that, possibly, standing with your feet spread you flicked out the wings of the diadhank… Your ka, Tefnuit, should come when called right? After all the dragon in golden armour had come to your aid and showed itself in the throne room. A little uncertain, head reeling at the information you were trying to process, you knew you had to react and called it’s name and waited, waited for the flash of light, the appearance but nothing happened you were left looking around not sure where you went wrong.

“What was that?” A clipped tone reached your ears.

“You’ll never be able to summon a ka if you can’t even sound confident when summoning it! You have to actually believe it will show up, that it will aid you, kas are a reflection of the soul personified respect that” he snapped and told you to try again.

Closing your eyes you nodded balling your fists then releasing a sigh, that clearly hadn’t worked, you had to clear your uncertainties, focus on believing, trusting the dragon would come to you once more. You wanted to succeed, you needed to, to prove yourself. You tried again… Nothing, and again, nothing. With each attempt you grew more frustrated, your calls became less ‘confident’ and more downright shouting. Seto shook his head and sighed.

“Calm down, frustration will get you nowhere” he said.

You were about to snap back at him but you sighed in defeat letting out an aggravated sound. He was right, but why was this so difficult, you’d done well in magic, in fighting why was simply summoning a ka a task, which was so seemingly effortless for the other priests, so impossible for you?

“The first time you brought the dragon out you were in danger” he spoke.

“What exactly are you getting at?” You asked and with little time to react he’d commanded the ox to charge you raising its axe above its head ready to swing it down on you with nothing to fend off its blow.

If that dragon was going to come out now would be a pretty damn good time, you threw your hands up maybe the diadhank could offer some kind of protection? In a last ditch attempt you pleaded calling the dragon’s name one last time. That’s when one of the wings lit up and a bright flash revealed the dragon in all it’s glory which instantly lunged for the ox clashing with it. Taking an unsteady step back you felt… Anger. It washed over you as you focused in on the fight in front of you, your dragon seemed to have no issues putting the ox down slamming it into the ground.

“Finish it” you commanded, and it did.

The ox faded from the area and left only Tefnuit to stand in the sandpit snarling at Priest Seto who gripped his chest seemingly in pain and took a few steps back. You blinked the anger dissipating as you moved forward a hand reaching out.

“Are you alright?” You called about to go over but he raised a hand to stop you.

“Finally we got somewhere, as you can see even summoning kas from Wedju will still deplete your ba gauge if defeated” he held up his diadhank to show that the previously fully lit gauge was now only around 3/4s full.

A pang of guilt shot through you but you told yourself that you’d actively tried to kick him into the dirt countless times before in training, now was no different monsters were just involved and you’d won the fight. 

“Still battle ox is no pushover when it comes to kas, that’s quite the dragon you have there” he commented seemingly impressed, “alright, call it back and try to summon it again, without being in danger this time” he said.

“Stand down” you spoke softly to the dragon and as in the throne room is disappeared, you looked down to your diadhank to see a symbol of it disappear from one of the wings.

“Yes, continuing this without the threat of imminent decapitation would be preferred” you responded dryly and readied yourself to try once more.

“It worked didn’t it?” He smirked “remember how you felt when you successfully summoned your ka, use that feeling to guide you” he offered in advice.

So terrified? You thought bitterly but calmed yourself and stilled your thoughts, there had been another feeling besides the fear but you tried to replicate the feeling of being in danger to help aid your cause in calling Tefnuit out once more. Taking a breath, you focused then called the dragon forth. You knew now it would come, that it was real, not just a construct of your mind made to help you through the toughest times.

It would come, it had to, you were determined to get through all this training, to make something of yourself at last. The light shone proving you had been successful and once again the dragon was by your side. You let out a laugh of disbelief and turned from it to Seto to grin at him and he just nodded in return. You’d done it, you’d summoned the damn thing by yourself.

“Well done, you can call it off that will do for today” he said.

“Huh? That’s it?” You asked motioning with your hand as Tefnuit disappeared again.

“Look at your ba gauge” he said.

You blinked and looked down seeing it had depleted and your head snapped back up to him immediately confused. You hadn’t lost the battle so why had your gauge depleted? You were down to about 3/4s now like he had been after losing a ka.

“Just summoning kas requires strength, when you aren’t used to summoning them it’s best to start slowly, I don’t want you collapsing on me” he said.

You supposed that made sense, when you went to leave you had to steady yourself a sudden weakness washing over you and he moved forward ready to catch you an arm in front of you. You placed a hand on his forearm and steadied yourself before nodding.

“I’m alright” you promised and righted yourself as he gave you an unconvinced look.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you” you said as you both exited the training grounds.

“What’s that?” He sighed ready for you to quiz him on something inconsequential again as you often did jump whatever questions you had on him.

“I’m to be a war advisor, so that means I’ll be in charge of more than just me, all this training is great but it doesn’t help me in strategizing how an army should be set up” you explained.

The portion of your training that dealt with battle strategy had been non existent and now that your training was progressing it was something you often thought about but didn’t know where to start. He nodded and crossed his arms thinking for a moment.

“All right follow me” he said at last.

You did just that and eventually came to a room that resembled a library, he pulled scrolls out and handed them to you, dumping document upon document along some books and you blinked struggling to hold it all beginning to regret even asking.

“When I was in training these are the materials High Priest Akhenaden recommended to begin with” he said.

“So he taught you?” You asked.

“Everything I know, he’s a great man, when you get through these ask him what to move onto” he said.

The tone of pure admiration struck you as odd coming from Seto, clearly he held the priest in very high regard, you mulled the thought over, you didn’t have a lot of experience with priest Akhenaden other than some simple greetings when you really went out of your way to introduce yourself, you didn’t have an opinion one way or the other.

You guessed if Seto was praising him he was definitely someone to look out for, or maybe look up to? You sighed and brought everything he had given you to a table and spread out the various materials skimming over them lightly.

“Anything you would recommend I begin with or just read them in any order I see fit?” You asked.

He moved to your side surveying the table, he reached out after a moment and tapped on a book.

“If you want a starting point that’s as good as any, after that there’s no real order you need to go through them, they all talk about the basics and you can build from there” he explained.

“Alright” you moved to sit and took the book he had pointed out gathering some sheets of papyri to take any notes on what you found.

He watched as you set up to study for the next few hours and crossed his arms moving to leave before turning back.

“Don’t over do it, we’ll continue your ka training tomorrow” he warned.

You looked up and smiled rolling your eyes.

“I can hardly wait, in fact I’m missing you and your violent beasts already” you responded sarcastically.

Instead of making some kind of displeased face he just smirked and walked off. Maybe after all your time together the ice priest was beginning to warm to your presence, being one of your main mentors he didn’t have much of a choice but get used to you being around. Still you smiled to yourself, if you were going to trust anyone here Seto would probably be the first, regardless of if your possible attraction to the man played any role in it.

You made good progress through the materials, as it was the basics it was quite clear and easy to follow. You were sure as you progressed it wouldn’t be so simple but you made notes getting through around half of what he’d given you before you had some down time, food and then took the priests advice on resting for the day ahead of you tomorrow.

Over the coming months all of your training came to a head, fighting wasn’t a worry, your skills in magic had come on leaps and bounds and even summoning kas was now second nature due to the practice you had put in. Other than your own ka, Tefnuit, you favoured a few you could summon with ease, Gebeb another dragon which resembled your ka and had the same millennium plated armour, Kaiser sea horse a monster which like is name resembled a soldier from some deep sea home and dark witch one of the only female resembling kas you had summoned.

Keeping a note on strategizing you often went to Seto or Akhenaden asking for advice or clarification on why a battle had played out as it did. Between them both they arranged makeshift battle scenarios to test your reasoning and see how much you had learned from your studies. Your time outside the palace and experiences also helped aid you in decisions and make arguments for why you would set up a battle in such a way.

With all the positive progress it came time to face the final hurdle before you would officially assume the role of war advisor. The previous advisor, Phut would test you and if you passed she would step down and you would have the Pharaoh’s army in your care. While ultimately battle decisions lay with the Pharaoh the input of a war advisor was crucial and often taken into serious account.

The anxiety this put on you… only time would tell if you really could step up and become the phrophesised advisor they wanted you to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a real beast to get through, I feel like explaining the process as well as emphasising the training the RC has gone through is important to the story. So while it may not be the most exciting it's important to note the role she will ultimately step into won't be an over night seminar in war 101. As well as that given Priest Seto's personality it's pretty clear to catch his attention in any sort of way people need to really prove themselves as someone worth watching. The skills and dedication to the role all help distance RC from the bad reputation she had and negative feelings he had towards her.   
> Other than that researching what kas certain priests use was a real blast, I was making sure Seto did actually use battle ox in ancient times and noticed he also used mystic horseman. I know the OG YGO card game was a lawless land in the beginning but modern day Kaiba actually uses the damn thing throughout the anime which I found amusing considering it's a trash card.   
> I'm doing my best to update weekly and next chapter gets onto the good stuff I promise haha, thanks so much to everyone who's left comments or kudos it really means a lot and I appreciate having the feedback!


	9. Chapter 9

With each passing day the reality sunk in more and more. It wasn’t as if you weren’t told about the role you’d be expected to fill. It wasn’t as if this was all new information to you however it was taking a while for it to truly sink in. Your first fight outside and not in the training grounds had been an eye opener, now your first experience of commanding a battle would be when it really mattered…

That was all if you could take down the current war advisor, the blonde woman you’d seen little of in the court and could get no idea of, on how much of a challenge she may be. Was it a fight in the normal sense? Would ka be involved? Magic? You had no answers and around a week to prepare now, a date for your showdown had been set in stone. The anxiety struck you in waves, you trained as much as you could, offered to go on as many routine trips and outings because as long as you had something to focus on it kept your mind away from the reality that was staring in your face.

You had to fight, you had to win and then the real test began. Even if you won how could you, a normal girl who had been sleeping around for money with the lowest of the low, ever hope to effectively command the armies of Egypt? There was only so much training and so many things you could distract yourself with, the warm waters of the baths didn’t still your thoughts, you had turned to wines and beers but they were a temporary solution and often worsened the doubting thoughts that ate at you anytime you had a moment to think. One morning you had yourself so wound up that after dressing you sat on the floor in the corner of your room, knees drawn close to your chest and it took everything you had just to breathe properly.

You reasoned with yourself that this had been prophesised for you and could not be wrong, that you had been training for months and even the most cynical of your reviewers had confidence in your ability now. You told yourself that this woman who was never here to do her duty, whom you’d never seen fight once was clearly a low bar for you to pass, that anyone would be better than a seemingly distant advisor to the Pharaoh himself. Despite your calm and rational thinking your brain just seemed to have a part, a section you wished you could mute or cut out that sneered at you, spat insults at you and for every rational argument you had threw an irrational reason you were doomed to fail back… and part of you believed it.

Religion had escaped you for much of your life, the last time you were at any shrine for a god had been the festival of min and before that you’d been only 14 years old, still living in a house with those you could call family. You shook your head the painful memories of your past bubbling up until you shoved them back to the darkest corner of your heart. You’d cut yourself off from that life and now you were here serving the Pharaoh as some sort of ironic repentance possibly. Was this a test from the gods to see if you could be saved?

You were kneeling in front of a shrine for the goddess of war, Sekhmet, your alias reflected in it and you wondered if the goddess was dissapointed, if she’d even answer your pleas given how you took up her name to hide your own. Still you begged for advice, for guidance and support, to be able to fulfil this role given to you. You kneeled in front of a towering statue for the goddess for what felt like eternity going over in your head the pleas for help and the gratitude to the gods if it may be granted. It was funny really, how suddenly religious you felt when faced with stress. When you finally stood again and left the shrine you were spurred on, perhaps given some clarity from your time with the gods, when you returned to the palace you would seek out answers.

What exactly was the test to succeed Phut, why exactly was she stepping down and why was she so distant from the palace? The Pharaoh had expressed you could speak to him about any concern or just plainly to chat to him but you had asked about Phut before and found his response… guarded. You felt like you wouldn’t get an honest answer from him, perhaps that wasn’t fair, but at least not the full picture. Besides you still found it hard to freely approach someone like a Pharaoh.

Out of everyone you knew in the palace naturally you needed a figure high up and out of the high priests which served the Pharaoh you felt your best bet for answers and advice was Seto. Naturally he had taught you almost everything you knew here, he’d been on the most outings with you and you felt a closeness with him through that you just didn’t have with others in the palace. Knowing his personality you also knew if he believed Phut was doing a subpar job he would certainly make that opinion clear.

Deciding that visiting him was the best plan of attack instead of studying more or returning to your room you instead went to his. Knocking on the door three times you waited a moment before the familiar deep tones ordered for whoever was knocking to enter. You did just that and he looked up from his desk, papers stacked on them, at you his features morphed into a look of puzzlement.

“Sekhmet, I assume from that grim look on your face this is hardly a social call” he said and leaned back from the desk giving you his attention.

“It’s not, I don’t think you’d allow me to stay on a social visit” you responded dryly and he just rolled his eyes on the comment.

“Very well, sit, what’s the matter?” he asked pulling out a second chair to the desk.

“It’s this… fight” you said taking a seat.

“You doubt you can do it?” He asked.

“Well… Yes and no, for starters what sort of fight is it? Hand to hand combat? Are kas involved? Magic?” You asked the clarity could help you prepare.

“Phut doesn’t use magic, she never had an affinity for it, your one of the few at the palace who do even if it is basic defence and offence” he explained.

“Oh… I assumed that everyone in the palace would be able to use it to some degree” you said.

“The priests and Pharaoh can all fight competently as well as use kas that’s the only certainty, as for your question the fight will be to test the entirety of your skills, feel free to use kas and magic in combination with your normal fighting, just remember that Phut will be throwing everything at you” he warned.

“That’s my next question, what is she like?” You asked “I mean I’ve only managed to speak to her once, she doesn’t strike me as a war advisor, she’s hardly even here” you sighed.

Seto took a moment and ran a hand through his hair like he was debating what to say next a look of irritation on his features. Was he going to give you a half answer as well? Brush you off with some half explanation?

“In terms of fighting prowess Phut was already a member of the court when I arrived, she was unparalleled and a force to be reckoned with I spent some of my first trips outside the palace with her” he began “however recently she shirks her duty as if it is some kind of optional task, her reasonings, if we get any at all, for battle direction are weak and basic, I can’t even remember the last time I saw or even heard that she fought” he sighed.

“If she fights with the same skill as when I first arrived it won’t be easy I promise you that, but I’m more inclined to tell you that she’ll probably throw the entire thing just to get out of her position as quickly as possible” he clearly wasn’t pleased.

“But… If she’s so incompetent why is she still here? What is she so desperate to leave for?” You asked confused as to how a member of the court could get away with acting like that especially one who’d proven themselves to be such an asset.

“I suppose it’s the Pharaoh’s loyalty to his court, he treats us more like friends than underlings, he values her opinions even if I personally find them to be lacking” his tone was laced with a familiar venom “as for what she’s so obsessed with I can only guess it has to do with Ra, the sun god has had a surge in disciples and everything she owns seems to have some symbol of Ra carved into it in homage, I care very little for what she wants to waste her life on so I never bothered finding out what silly little club she wanted to run off to” he explained.

You looked away zoning out on no particular spot on his desk, processing it all. You couldn’t wrap your head around Phut’s motivations, but it seemed if she was so desperate to leave the court then you needn’t worry about the fight, it was just the responsibility that came after you needed to focus on. Sensing your anxiety and the way you had no reply to him Seto sighed and crossed his arms.

“I gather there is more that you’re worried about?” He asked his voice bringing you back.

“Well, say I defeat her, then I have to step up and become war advisor… for an entire army” you sighed.

“Yes that is the job description” he said dryly “listen, if you wanted someone to hold your hand and tell you how wonderful you are and how ready for this you are you should’ve gone to Mahado or that idiot apprentice of his, anyone but me” you had expected the venom.

“So the fact that you came to my door tells me that’s not what you want, why else would you be here? You want the truth and the truth is if you think you can’t do it then what use are you as a war advisor? Your insecurities and doubts will consume you and you’ll be as useless as our current advisor, you need to have the confidence and the will to get through this, so after all that training are you falling now so close to the finish line?” He asked a pointed stare aimed at you.

“I… Of course not!” You snapped anger rising as you quickly defended yourself and he smirked at that crossing his arms.

“I’m sure you’ve spent most of your life hearing empty compliments about your beauty, your body and your talent, you certainly don’t need anymore heaped on empty praise and you wont get it from me, you just need to calm yourself, you know all the training and despite the title any major war planning is down to the entire court to decide, you are just expected to be an above average fighter and somewhat of a specialist in battle plans, no one is expecting you to be Alexander the great in 4 months” he sighed.

“You really do love to contradict yourself” you sighed and smiled feeling slightly better at his backhanded advice and encouragement.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He raised a brow.

“You tell me you won’t hold my hand and tell me it’ll be ok but compliment me regardless” you pointed out and he snorted.

“I didn’t compliment you, I stated the facts, don’t get ahead of yourself” his tone was somewhere between teasing and a sneer.

“Well there’s only one final thing I wanted to ask you” you said.

“Go on then, since I’m feeling generous tonight” he sighed and waited for your request.

“I’d like some practice to prepare for the fight, I haven’t had much experience combining methods of fighting, she may be good but if I can take down you then I’ll be fine” you said.

“Take me down? You’re still 20 years too early to be talking like that, you’ve improved yes but you’ll be lucky to even get on my level” he sneered at you “But fine if you are so inclined to be a masochist and get knocked back into the dirt again I’m willing” he finished.

“Don’t underestimate me either, I’ve had more than enough training and I know your fighting style inside out” you responded rising to the challenge.

“Heh, you’ll be taking no one down if you don’t get some rest, I’ll meet you in the training grounds after breakfast, I don’t want any complaints because you asked for this” he smirked.

You rose ready to leave but paused to shake your head deciding against continuing whatever playful rivalry the conversation had headed in.

“Thank you, I appreciate having someone to talk to” you offered and he moved back to his papers.

“Thank me by doing your best and winning this fight” he replied.

With that you left his room and returned to your own. Your anxieties somewhat calmed even if you had more new questions about the current war advisor. You supposed if you could take her down in a week it wouldn’t matter because she wouldn’t be here, she’d be free to go off and do as she pleased outside the palace. Your work may become more difficult and your life would undoubtably be at risk in the future but you’d come to enjoy the palace life and the sense of belonging it gave to you. The priests around you had welcomed you in, even the Pharaoh seemed to be pleased to have you here. It gave you a sense of family you never really had, one you felt you didn’t really deserve. All you could do was your best, Seto and Mahado had given their all training you these past few months you at least in part owed it to them to do well after all they had done for you.

Overthinking the situation was only going to keep you up all night, you took a deep breath and stilled your mind doing your best to tune it all out so you could be well rested for your practice with Seto tomorrow.

-

You sleep was fitful, periods of waking up and struggling to get back over. You weren’t plagued by nightmares or anything like it to wake you, perhaps you’d been too warm in the night, perhaps your nerves had gotten the better of you. You could only chalk it down to having happened now, there was little you could do to fix it and so you made your way to breakfast. You ran into Isis when you were there and chatted with her, she often struck up conversations when you were around and had sort of taken you under her wing being one of the few females in the court that wasn’t a servant.

“How are you feeling, it won’t be long until the passing over of the title of war advisor” she said.

“You speak as if I’ve already won” you laughed and shook your head.

“You are the prophesied one to step into this role, even if that were not the case you’ve had two of the best men in the country training you, Mahado’s sorcery is unmatched and Seto’s test scores unprecedented if you have their blessing you must be good” Isis assured you.

“I’m glad you have such confidence in me, I’ll try to live up to those expectations” you sighed and finished your food.

“I’ll bid you farewell, Seto is probably waiting for me” you said.

“More time with Priest Seto?” She asked.

“I asked for a few practice fights to prepare me for Phut, he agreed to meet me in the training grounds this morning” you explained.

“He really has taken you under his wing as his little apprentice hasn’t he?” she laughed.

“Well it’s only natural if I don’t do well it’ll reflect badly on his ability to teach” you reasoned.

“Oh is that all?” Isis said like she knew something more.

What else could it mean? Naturally as your instructor in both fighting and using ka Seto would have to spend a lot of time with you to ensure you were properly trained, why did Isis make it seem like his attention to detail was out of character for him? His attitude toward you certainly didn't feel like special treatment. You shook your head and made your way to the training grounds Seto was naturally waiting and picked up a spear to pass to you before you waved it off.

“I’d prefer to use my blades” you responded motioning to the two golden blades currently sheathed by your upper thighs. You’d moved to using them halfway through your time at the palace finding them easier to work and manoeuvre with.

“Well you can’t be too worried given the time it took you to get here” he said.   
“I’m sorry did I keep you waiting long?” You mocked a sincere tone and he sneered in return.

“Don’t worry I’ll be sure to pay you back for it” he vowed and decided on using a single sword himself.

Taking up your fighting stances the offences began, hand to hand you kept up with him well, leaps and bounds better than when you were first introduced. He had drilled into your head to anticipate the opponents next move and strategize against it. You knew his style of fighting well but on the other hand any underhanded tactics on your part on fighting dirty he was well used to from you and countered very effectively. It was a pretty evenly matched fight until you saw your opening, excellent, quickly availing of it you managed to get a good hit in knocking him back. He lost his balance but not without taking you down with him. You landed on top of him quickly recovering to cross your two blades at his neck. The straddling position you’d landed in had him effectively pinned and you took a moment to catch your breath studying his face.

His usual royal robes were replaced with a simple tunic for training purposes and head gear gone. The plain look did two things for you, confirm your suspicions he would look good in anything and didn’t need regal clothing to do it and also made him feel somewhat closer in reach to you. To you, you were an outsider amongst people from noble backgrounds you could only ever hope to impress. Seto may have been closer to you than the others but you still felt worlds apart from him, could someone like him ever see someone like you? Truly see you as an equal? His blue eyes stared back at you and you wondered what he was thinking before his words brought you from your trance of… admiring him you guessed.

“That was always your problem Sekhmet, you think you’ve won too early, you leave yourself open” he said and before you had time to answer back he had you pinned under him, one hand holding yours above your head so you couldn’t retaliate his other hand now had a blade at your neck.

For the first time since you’d arrived you didn’t want to hear him call you Sekhmet, you didn’t want him to use the same name that so many others had when they were paying to be with you, leering and panting, you wanted him to call you by your real name, but how could he? It wasn’t like you’d told anyone what it was and you weren’t sure if letting them know something as sacred as your name was something you were prepared to do.

“If you’d stare at me less and fight more” he sighed and got up offering a hand to help you back to your feet.

“Sorry I’m just adjusting to seeing you without that ridiculous headgear” you covered easily grabbing his arm and hoisting yourself up.

You both held on a moment too long, looking at eachother and saying nothing, did Isis’ words hold weight? You shook that idea off, entertaining ideas of relationships wasn’t something you should be worrying about right now.

“Again, this time we’ll use ka as well” he said and distanced himself.

You nodded and got yourself into fight mode zoning out whatever troubling feelings you were developing in favour of not making yourself an easy victory. Your practices continued in this way until the fateful day arrived. You were up early and startled by a knock at your door.

Getting up to answer you were surprised to see Seto standing there. He had his arms crossed and usual full regal attire on.

“Are you ready?” He asked and then sighed “be careful how you answer” he narrowed his eyes and awaited your response.

“After your intensive practice sessions? I’m more than ready” you laughed, naturally still nervous but the training helped to calm you and show you that you were skilled.

“Good that’s the attitude you need, let’s go it’s time” he said.

You followed him in silence back to the throne room that would serve as your battle ground for the day. The other priests and Pharaoh were all there eagerly watching as you descended to stand opposite the blonde girl who smiled and nodded at you, returning the nod but not the smile you assumed a relaxed stance as she stood casually like she was about to have a game of senet with you.

“As you are both aware this is a simple fight to test if Sekhmet is ready to succeed our current war advisor Phut” The Pharaoh announced “do your best today and may the gods be in your favour, begin” with his call both of you were on guard.

She was cautious and made no move to start the offensive, that was fine if you had to make the first strike and could get it in good you could put her on the defence and wear her down through repeated blows. Flicking the wings of your diadhank out pre-emptively you made your move darting forward quickly light on your feet as metal clashed against metal. She too used a smaller weapon and repelled attacks with a seeming ease. You reminded yourself to stay calm an opportunity would present itself to you in time. You got the first opening and pushed her back landing the first strike but it was far from over. She was quickly back on form and called forth a ka, a beast she called thunder dragon. You quickly countered summoning Kaiser seahorse, the monster was easily at your side repelling the ka.

You continued the hand to hand combat not letting up on your pace and she let out a hiss as she quickly moved backwards to create distance between you gripping her chest. The ka you summoned had taken her's out. After steadying herself she had summoned another, dark elf this time your ka couldn’t stand up to it. Staggering back you shook off the pain and sudden lead weight of your body and looked up to see her ready to start her own offensive.

“To hell with this” you uttered and used up considerable strength to summon two ka, your own, Tefnuit, and Gebeb.

With two ka now at your side her dark elf should be taken out, you focused on getting back to the fight at hand, when your ka took down dark elf you had your opportunity and forced her to the ground she dropped her sword and waved her hand in surrender.

“That’s strong ka you are using and reckless techniques, you really are Seto’s apprentice” she spoke getting back to her feet as you backed off slowly.

Your body ached and your breathing was heavy, hers matched you as she pushed herself up and steadied herself checking her ba gauge which you noticed had been depleted considerably, as had your own. You wondered briefly had you won through strength or had she thrown it to step down as quick as possibly. A clap brought both your attentions back to the Pharaoh and he smiled. 

“Congratulations Sekhmet, you may officially discard the trainee portion of your title” he said.

You called off both your ka seeing as the fight was over and looked over the high priests and the Pharaoh who watched you, seemingly impressed by the display you had put on today. You felt a sense of pride well through you mixed with the butterflies that signified anxiety. Now you had won you had quite the role to fill… Though… Seto had said decisions on wars were a group effort, perhaps you were making this out worse than it was and you had your training behind you… For now you took comfort from the fact you had passed their challenge and allowed yourself to feel the joy from that on its own. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this is so belated, I wrote most of this in the back of a lorry funnily enough, my dad works the night shift doing deliveries for the supermarkets so I've been joining him just to get out of the house with everything going on right now. I'm sure most of you can appreciate that the world and lives of many are hectic right now, my uni went to online classes which aren't working and I had to get last minute flights home but thankfully my friends and family are healthy. I hope everyone else is staying safe and healthy and following the guidelines. I don't want to bang on too much about the virus here as I think fanfic will probably be an escape for most of us, I know writing this is certainly giving me some comfort especially with all the free time I now have to work on things like this!  
> I find battles pretty challenging to write without skipping over too much so I hope they make sense weekly updates should definitely be doable from here on out or maybe more frequently who knows.   
> Thanks again for all the support and kind comments and again I hope your all doing well through this.


	10. Chapter 10

The Pharaoh stood and clapped his hands together. He smiled down at you as one of the priests, Shada, picked up a large box and moved forward with it as the Pharaoh lifted the lid off it.

“You are one of us now, we took the liberty of having this made in anticipation of your victory today” Isis explained and you were beckoned up.

You looked at them confused but ascended the steps up towards the throne looking into the box where you saw fine pieces of gold crafted into protective armour pieces all marked with a lion as it’s symbol.

“Given your name I though the symbol was only fitting” the Pharaoh said and you took a moment but recognised the significance of course, Sekhmet was a goddess depicted with the head of a lioness it only made sense they would choose a lion for you.

“It’s beautiful but I…” You began you weren’t sure why they would go to all the bother for you.

“Say no more, when Phut ascended she got her own armour, it’s tradition you’ll be representing the palace you may as well look the part” it was Seto who spoke.

You half smirked and rolled your eyes, trust him to get a jab in, accepting the box and looking back to the Pharaoh with a smile.

“Thank you I’ll treasure it” you said.

“Excellent! Now that you have offically become war advisor we must celebrate” He said.

“Celebrate?” You asked wondering if this was another tradition.

“It will be something similar to the festival of Min, after the festival if you recall” Isis explained.

“Take your time to relax and get ready I’ll send a guard to get you when we are ready” the Pharaoh said and you nodded.

“Don’t look like a startled animal, I’d take the opportunity to relax there’ll be enough tough times to worry about” Seto spoke to you in hushed tones.

“Well if nothing else watching you miserable in a corner out of your comfort zone is something I can’t miss” you teased.

He looked like he wanted to say something back but he was called away by the Pharaoh and narrowed his eyes at you, you’d watch your back for pay back later for now you had armour to put in your room and a celebration to get ready for.

After you had the armour safely in your room and you’d looked over it sighing the weight of the gold almost a physical version of the weight of the title you now held. War advisor… that is what you now were. You took a deep breath Seto had a point there was no need to stress tonight, you might as well go and have a good time. Egypt was currently in a time of peace anyway. You shook off the creeping negativity which tried to claw at you and headed for the baths, your fight had taken it out of you and made you work up quite the sweat you could take the time to relax and clean yourself up.

When you got there a few girls approached you, usually there was someone else there, but they hadn’t spoken with you before. They usually chatted amongst themselves and you weren’t overly pleased at them fussing over you.

“Ah hello we heard you completed your trial today Lady Sekhmet, we used to answer to Lady Phut… but since she’ll be leaving we’ll be here to aid you instead” one explained.

“Aid me? What kind of aid would I need?” You asked.

“Well dressing, makeup, hair and anything of that nature for events we’ll be on hand to help you get ready, like tonight! There will of course be a celebration for your new position it must be so exciting” another said too excited for your liking.

“It’ll just be a lot of drinking and dancing, don’t you ever go to these events?” You asked.

“Oh… Oh no we are just here as servants to the war advisor we have no place at such important events, we have our own time to entertain ourselves naturally of course!” The first said quickly.

“Well I’m sorry to leave you out of a job but I’m fine to get myself ready thank you” you dismissed them and they scampered off thankfully not pressing you the last thing you needed was three girls crowding you and gossiping while trying to apply your makeup.

You could do just fine on your own making yourself ‘presentable’ as a member of the court. Drying off you returned to your room and looked through your clothing thankful you’d picked out some more ‘regal’ attire for times of events. Deciding on a flowing white one which made a chance from your usual black you grimaced remembering that you would now have to be present and help at any future festivals. The idea of having the ‘adoring’ public watch your every move at those events made you a little uncomfortable but you reasoned they’d be more focused on the Pharaoh and you’d get used to them in time. Sitting by your desk you moved sheets of notes you had taken out of the way opting instead for your makeup. You weren’t sure exactly when you’d be called for this celebration but you were sure it wouldn’t be too long from now.

You had just finished fixing your hair and makeup when there was a knock on the door, probably the guard to get you, good timing. You got up and opened the door and blinked seeing who stood there.

“Priest Seto I thought a guard was coming to get me to what do I owe the upgrade in chaperone?” You asked.

“A guard is coming to get you, I just came to check on you” he said.

“Let me guess to see if I match up to the image of my new title, I did dress for men for many years I do know what I’m doing” you crossed your arms.

“Well now I wouldn’t class commoners and criminals on the same level as knowing how to dress in palace settings and events where your image reflects that” he smirked.

You rolled your eyes and held out your arms twirling sarcastically.

“Well do I pass the test or should I fret and change?” You asked, even if he raised an issue you wouldn’t have changed regardless.

“It’s acceptable, although it’s strange to see you in a bright colour” he commented.

“I feel strange in a bright colour” you sighed “white holds connotations like innocence, brilliance, purity, I don’t feel any of those things” you hummed.

“Do you always get inside your head about every single insignificant thing? It’s a colour and it looks good on you, needlessly reading into it is only going to give you a headache” he crossed his arms.

“I suppose it’s a habit, a side effect from fending for myself for so long” you meant that, you’d spent years with only really yourself to talk to you hadn’t opened up to anyone since you’d left your… family and maybe… it was time to.

Another knock on the door broke you from your thoughts and a guard made himself known before bowing.

“Lord Seto, Lady Sekhmet the Pharaoh is ready to leave now” he announced.

“That’s fine I’ll bring her, you can go” Seto answered.

“So, you are my chaperone” you said.

“I’m already here you might need babysat by a guard I don’t” he teased.

“Shouldn’t you have some respect for your war advisor?” You asked.

“Hmph, regardless of your new title I still far outrank you” he smirked “you can chat all you want at the celebration, for now let’s not keep the Pharaoh waiting” he added and you had to agree with that.

Following him from your room you were led to a large open space in the palace which was filled with life. Music played and dancers twirled around the floor, in the centre a rich feast like that at the festival of Min had been prepared as the others were arriving.

“Seto, Sekhmet, why am I not surprised to see you together” Isis smiled.

“I had to make sure she would show up in something respectable” Seto sneered.

“I’m sure she’s had ample time to see for herself the dress code and workings of the palace, this is hardly still her first week Seto” Isis said with a sly smile “but if you must make excuses to visit then I won’t stop you” she moved to walk away Seto about to snap out a response when he was cut off by the Pharaoh himself.

“If it isn’t our new war advisor, come sit with me” he said.

Well how could you refuse the Pharaoh himself? You nodded and followed him sitting down beside him food was passed around as well as alcohol and you drank the wine happily to somewhat relax yourself. He seemed to just want to talk, that was fairly reasonable given the position you assumed you’d be working a lot more closely with him.

“Congratulations are in order for you, although none of us had a doubt” he said.

“I’m glad you all had the confidence in me, I certainly didn’t, but I had great teachers behind me” you said, especially Seto when you thought about it, you glanced to the priest who seemed to be chatting… or bickering with Mahado.

“Well now you’ve proved to yourself you are capable you should have more confidence, you already have field experience and with the current state of Egypt you seemingly have a clear path ahead of you although it does pay to be cautious” he said.

“Mm, wise words” you looked around then back to him “I notice Phut isn’t here… Is she alright?” You asked.

“Ah… She’s already left for the temple of Ra” he said somewhat pausing to answer.

“I see… I thought maybe it had something to do with me” you said.

“Oh no, she was happy to stand down there’s no animosity don’t worry” he assured you.

Still you had your suspicions and worries… Had you really won or had she let you? You remembered Seto’s words to you and supposed you could ask him at some point… Possibly tonight he could give you some indication of how her performance was you were sure.

“I’m surprised someone would want to leave the palace… I thought it was a lifelong commitment” or until you died you finished the sentence in your head.

“Shall I take that to mean you’re comfortable here, you certainly seem a lot more relaxed these days and making a friend of Seto no less that’s impressive” he said.

“People seem very interested in us lately… Is there something odd about him getting on with someone?” You asked, he had just been bickering with Mahado surely they had some sort of friendship and the Pharaoh seemed to regard him like that.

“He can be… incredibly closed off, I suppose his affinity with you isn’t exactly a surprise” he said.

“What do you mean…?” You asked.

“Perhaps this isn’t my place to tell you, but Seto wasn’t born into this role, his test marks got him to where he was, I don’t know all the details naturally he never speaks of it but I’d hazard a guess his life before the palace was one of struggle, not unlike you Sekhmet” the Pharaoh told you.

“What…? That can’t be true I mean he’s…” You went wide eyed at what you were hearing, Seto a common citizen? Someone like you? There was no way you were going to believe that you waited and waited for the Pharaoh to laugh and tell you it was a joke but he didn’t he just confirmed the story.

“Your surprise is only natural, I’m glad to see you trust someone here and to see him open to the idea of doing the same” he said.

“You speak as if we have some sort of connection” you said carefully.

“With all the time you spend together I think half the palace has come to that conclusion” he replied.

“He taught me to fight, he trained me on Ka use and also helped with the majority of my strategizing not to mention being one of the priests most commonly sent outside the palace walls, it’s only natural I spend a lot of time with him, it’s circumstance” you said.

“Is that all?” The Pharaoh smiled at you and studied your face.

You felt your stomach flip uncomfortably and you felt a lump in your throat not at the idea there could be more that was a very attractive idea to you as was Priest Seto a very attractive and skilled man you couldn’t help but hold a great deal of respect for after your time studying under him. The idea of commitment and where it led had you feeling slightly sick, or maybe that was too much wine it was hard to tell, relationships led to marriage and marriage led to… You didn’t even want to think about it. You drained your wine perhaps against better judgement.

“With all due respect I’m war advisor now, I’ve never been good with commitment in relationships and my position means my life expectancy is naturally lower, I don’t have the time to consider that aspect of life my full attention will be on serving this country and doing my best to lead your armies to victory I assure you” you said wondering was this some kind of test.

“I have every confidence you will Sekhmet, I wasn’t implying you’d be distracted and you shouldn’t decide something like happiness isn’t for you, I may not know your situation but you deserve to have that, when we pass on from this life what we leave here is how we live out eternity, make sure you leave without regret” he said.

“I will do my best… If I may I’d like to dance” you politely excused yourself wanting to get away from the conversation and drowned yourself in the music clearing your head to just feel the rhythm and move.

Your distraction worked for a while but eventually others came to speak to you offering congratulations and official welcomes you smiled and thanked them. Mahado and Mana stopped you Mahado being the calming voice while Mana jumped around you with endless energy excited for you.

“Mana stop crowding her” Mahado sighed detaching the girl from you as she’d thrown her arms around you.

“But this is great! She’s worked so hard and now she’s finally here! War advisor!” Mana said.

“She is right, you worked hard for this, well done Sekhmet” Mahado smiled at you.

“Well I had great teachers helping me along” you said.

“If only my other student worked as hard” he said looking down at Mana who shrunk and made an excuse running off.

“Looks like you have a long way to go” you teased.

“You could speak with her, try to convince her” he said it like a joke but his eyes were pleading.

“Oh no that one is all yours thank you, I’ve worked hard enough to convince Seto I’m not the dirt on his shoe” you joked and he laughed at that.

“He may be harsh but he does think highly of you, he wouldn’t spend so much time teaching you if he didn’t” he offered.

“Mmm…” You said and quickly moved past the conversation worried Mahado would be the next person to insinuate after Isis and the Pharaoh himself.

You finally got a seat and a moment to yourself. Sighing you had another cup of wine in your hand if you weren’t drunk before you soon were going to be.

“And here you told me you were going to enjoy me looking miserable” a familiar voice said as the seat next to you was occupied.

“Hah… I don’t like being fussed over, if it was a prophesy I was to become war advisor, why are they acting so surprised?” You asked.

“For once I agree with you, then again they tend to get excitable and irritating when drunk” Seto answered you.

“Looks like we can both be out of our comfort zone tonight” you sighed.

“That’s where you’re wrong, things like this don’t make me uncomfortable the people at them just irritate me” he said.

“A lot of people irritate you” you pointed out.

“A lot of people are incomprehensibly stupid” he hit back you had to agree.

“Hey… That fight today, was she really trying or did she throw it?” You asked.

“Are you having another bout of uncertainty about your abilities Sekhmet?” He asked.

That name again… The name you’d taken up while working… The more it was said to you the more you didn’t identify with it now, especially from him, even the connection, the memory of countless men saying it and now him, that at the very least didn’t sit right with you.

“Don’t call me that…” you said at last taking a breath, if you were going to take this position seriously you may as well let them in on your real name.

“Excuse me?” He asked, of course he was confused you looked around and grimaced there was too many people and you didn’t need a crowd.

“I need to tell you something… To be honest with you, but not here” you said.

“Are you drunk? What are you on about?” He asked.

“If you want to know then follow me” you said, you could do with the breather anyway.

The grand room with all those people was stifling and you walked, through the corridor and to an opening out into the gardens, the night was calm and the stars twinkled in the sky at you. Having practically sped there you hadn’t even looked back to see if he was following you, it was fine if he didn’t even the air for a moment was welcome.

“You’ve dragged me out here so it better be important” that answered your question as to had he followed you.

You turned and looked up at him sighing and balling your fists wondering why you found it so hard, so daunting to just tell him your name. Sure you’d disregarded it for a long time but it was yours and names were important, symbolic, the only way to guarantee eternity in the afterlife.

“I haven’t been exactly honest” you began and he waited for you to explain yourself “my name isn’t Sekhmet, that was just a name I took up while working” you said “My name, my real name is ____” you finished it felt oddly like an invisible weight had been lifted.

“That’s all you had to say? I mean I always did wonder, Sekhmet never really suited you… but ____, that fits more” he said.

“I haven’t told anyone my name since I was 14, I left my identity and life behind it was easier to take strength from a new name, pretend I was a different person” you explained.

“Is this going somewhere? Is this your round about way of saying you can’t perform the duties you now have?” He narrowed his eyes.

“No… No if I was going to back out I wouldn’t have taken on Phut, I wouldn’t have done all those months of training, I wouldn’t have worked so hard” you said.

“If your real name is so important, why tell me?” He asked.

“Because I trust you, the others are kind, they welcomed me in and encouraged me and that’s the problem, they’ll smile and tell me how great it all is, it isn’t genuine, you’ve been honest since I got here, about your dislike and distrust of me, about how I was doing and what was expected of me I feel it’s only fair I’m honest with you and that included telling you my name” you said.

“and I… That name represented a part of my life I no longer need, a part I can put behind me” you finished your thoughts racing but managing to string together what you wanted to say.

He looked at you like he was weighing something up in his mind and now you’d vomited out all of your reasonings and thoughts you felt self-conscious seeing how rambling they sounded. 

“You really need to get out of your own head sometimes ____” he spoke.

You didn’t have a reply to that, he was probably right, keeping all your issues, worries and concerns in your head to eat away at you probably wasn’t healthy but you’d never had the opportunity to open up. Men paid you for sex not for your problems and you didn’t want any of them knowing anything about you anyway. The breeze rustled through the garden as you just stood and looked at him, as you looked at each other and maybe it was the wine and maybe… You stopped yourself, you were overthinking it all and getting into your own head again and you allowed you head to just be quiet for once. You moved forward closing the gap between you.

You met eachother half way, him leaning down and you leaning up, lips connecting for a moment in a soft peck, almost testing, as if to satisfy some curiosity. Pulling back a fraction and looking at eachother to confirm that yes, whatever the question was the answer was yes. The next kiss wasn’t testing, it wasn’t soft, his arm was firmly around your waist pulling you close to him, lips locked in a much deeper kiss. Your hand reached up knocking off his headgear in favour of threading your fingers through his hair, your other hand gripping the fabric of his tunic. You’d kissed more men than you could count in your time and none of them even came close to the feeling you currently had. Barely pulling back for air he broke it off and distanced himself picking up the now discarded headgear to hide his messed-up hair.

“They’ll wonder where we are” he said.

“Let them” you said irritated, they’d insinuated all night none of their gossip would change.

“The pharaoh himself organised this celebration for you, it isn’t optional, collect your thoughts and get back in there” he narrowed his eyes at you and turned to leave but you reached out and grabbed his arm.

He turned back to you, you could see he was ready to snap at you again but his gaze softened and he waited for what you had to say.

“You didn’t answer me about Phut” you said.

“This again? Does it even matter whether she threw the fight or not?” He asked and placed his hands on your shoulders “she ran off, you are here partaking in your duties” he said.

“Should I take your avoidance on answering to mean she threw the fight?” You asked a wave of anger washing over you, it had seemed easy when kas came into play now you thought back.

“Don’t put words in my mouth ____, she fought well today, you fought better” he said and sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.

“That was all I wanted to know… I don’t need you suddenly being cryptic with me as well” you said.

With that you moved past him and back to the hall where the celebration was, truth be told you wanted to go back to your room or his you weren’t going to be picky. It was obvious he was too tied to rules and tradition to let you get out of this and the music and people blurring by was beginning to give you a headache. Maybe he had viewed the kiss as a mistake… You groaned, not wanting to think and hurried to get a new cup of wine, drinking the night out of existence was as good a way to forget about it as any.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some week I'll post this and it will be at a decent hour and not the middle of the night, this week ain't it.  
> Again I think I'm a little late? Probably, with the anxiety of everything going on at the moment it feels strange to write characters being close together, I found myself wondering if it was allowed, crazy what a pandemic can do to your head. My deadlines have thankfully all been extended and I've decided to work part time in a local supermarket, I feel I need to do something useful when I'm fit and able. ANYWAY... Enough of all that I hope you are all doing well and are safe. I originally toyed with teasing or hinting at a kiss this chapter and then writing a kiss in next chapter but I needed some form of romance or fluff to get me through so just went with throwing it in this chapter, even though the relationship is sketchy at the moment... Again I will update next week, hopefully sooner? It will probably be around the 8 day mark especially if I'm called in for extra shifts, but hey ho time will tell.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW warning ahead

You passed yourself at the rest of the celebration, the fussing and chatting wore you out possibly just as much as the fight you had earlier. To that end you tried to pace yourself when it came to drinking but found yourself drunk and loose lipped most regrettably around the Pharaoh. He seemed pretty lucid in return and found the situation amusing, whatever at least you weren’t in some kind of trouble for it, the last thing you needed was to make a show of yourself when you were drunk. 

If only Seto hadn’t forced you back here you could’ve been asleep by now or at the very least having a much better time. You bitterly made a point of avoiding him the rest of the night for not saving you from the celebration. Or maybe he avoided you. Again you pushed all thoughts from your mind content to drink the night away and eventually stumble your way back to your room peeling off your clothes and collapsing in bed. 

The amount of red wine you’d consumed gave you a headache strong enough to floor you and thankfully the palace let you have your first day as war advisor as a write off. You slept in, well more accurately glared at the ceiling of your room going over last night in your head when your pain dulled enough to allow you to think. You consumed water and plenty of it, cleaned yourself up with a relaxing afternoon in the baths before strolling around the gardens. The Pharaoh had many magnificent beasts either captured or gifted to him for you to look at. You’d heard of past Pharaohs killing wild beast for sport and when you knelt in front of the cage like structure which held a lion you felt uneasy at the prospect that perhaps your Pharaoh would do the same. 

“Sekhmet I’m glad to see you up, how’s your head?” a voice asked. 

Speak of the devil and he shall appear or think you thought bitterly and turned to smile at the ruler of Egypt. 

“Last night I divulged a few truths, my name isn’t Sekhmet it’s actually ____, I told Priest Seto so I’m sure it will be common knowledge soon” you said ignoring the comment on your head which was still pulsing against your skull. 

“Ah, I thank you for giving me this information, he left early this morning and didn’t mention it, I’m glad I heard it from you” he said. 

That surprised you, you’d expected Seto to report to any and everyone he could about the sudden revelation of your name, had it been a few months ago you were sure he would’ve used it against you as a way to get others in the palace against your position. You held that position now so there was seldom little he could do if he still held a vendetta but you were sure he didn’t. You sighed, you needed to stop being so bitter over a simple drunken kiss, even if you had feelings for him that didn’t negate the conditions which the kiss had occurred, late at night with a lot of alcohol. 

“You seem down about something. Is everything alright? I noticed you left the celebration for a while last night is it perhaps to do with that?” He asked. 

Very perceptive… You narrowed your eyes then shook your head and laughed the notion off. 

“No no, I was just mentioning my real name to Priest Seto, as he taught me virtually everything I know since I’ve been here I felt I could tell him first” you explained your absence “if I seem down I must admit all that wine has given me quite the headache” you sighed. 

“I must admit I got a bit carried away myself, not that I didn’t enjoy your attempt to teach me to dance” he laughed. 

Oh Ra above that was right, you’d practically dragged the Pharaoh of all people up to dance with you. You wanted the ground to open up and swallow you whole, you looked at him an expression between sorrow and pain and he waved off your concern. 

“Please don’t worry as I said I enjoyed it” he reassured you. 

“Well if you ever need a dance tutor I’m always willing” you replied. 

The next week continued with you hardly getting time away from the Pharaoh. It turned out that Egypt currently had some conflict with territory not far from the mainland which required your opinion on. As well as that as war advisor you quickly became one of the closest people to the Pharaoh, this wasn’t exactly a shock to you given how the few times Phut was seen it was at the Pharaoh’s side. While it gave you the chance to get to know the Pharaoh more and open up to him as well as trust him a little more it meant your usual schedule was completely torn appart. Your training sessions gone, instruction non -existent, all of this only to be expected with you stepping up from trainee to official. 

It didn’t make the transition any easier and despite it all you found yourself missing the usual time you would spend with Seto being taken from you. It wasn’t like you had any excuse to seek him out or visit him. You knew the palace well enough now and your training was through if you ever needed help on strategy the court or the Pharaoh himself were on hand to give opinion and criticism. Other than simply wanting to spend time with him, a weak excuse in your eyes and one you didn’t want to give in to, you simply continued on with your new routine and adjusted.

The looming memory of the celebration hung over you like a black cloud. You had mixed emotions about what had happened and what it even meant. You’d scarcely seen him and when sent out on business you choose Shada or Karim as your partners, you could tell the Pharaoh questioned that and explained it by saying you needed to get to know everyone in the palace a little better. He seemed to accept that but in reality you were just ignoring Seto the same way he seemed to be ignoring you. He probably viewed the whole thing as a drunken mistake, or maybe after your word vomit of a confession he felt sorry for you and humoured you. Both felt equally degrading, or perhaps him knowing your past way to earn money meant he regarded any kind of act like that with you as… throw away or meaningless. It made sense when you thought about it, you’d been paid for acts far more intimate than a kiss time and time again why was this getting to you so much? Did you want the relationship to be more? Then where would that lead you? Did you really want to go down the route of possible marriage to a high priest no less? You reasoned maybe you were better off he didn’t care but that didn’t dull the ache in your chest.

Even if you went to him, what would you say? How could you possibly sum up your conflicted feelings to him without seeming unhinged? You couldn’t even work out what you truly wanted in the first place. You preferred a bury your head in the sand approach, as the Pharaoh increasingly called on you, you had little time to spend to dedicate too much time to thinking on where your now awkward relationship with Priest Seto stood.

It would be mid-way through the next week when you would finally get some answers, by all accounts a slower week, the issue with the small areas of resistance was all but dealt with. In all honesty you were almost bored now that everything had calmed down and the extra time gave you a chance to ponder over the kiss you’d all but put from your mind. The bitterness you felt had dissipated and you told yourself when you next passed Seto or saw him you would make a point of clearing the air. You didn’t want another painfully awkward trial. 

Currently you were in the central court, it was evening and you were minding your business, passing some time when footsteps and voices directed the few people present to pay attention to who was entering. Priest Seto strode in clearly unimpressed, guards ran in after him stuttering out about a battle they had won. You raised a brow as he made a bee line for you. You didn’t even get to question him before he had gripped your wrist and dragged you off. 

You couldn’t begin to imagine what you had possibly done to gain his ire. Perhaps some of your advice had been something he didn’t agree on or hadn’t worked. You didn’t even bother to try and get an answer out of him as he gripped your wrist and speed walked down corridors. 

“If you’re going to have it out with me, my room is closer” you offered. 

He seemed to pause to consider that then set off practically dragging you back to your room where the door was quickly shut behind you and he finally released your wrist from its prison. 

“To what do I owe the anger? Have I done something so awful? You won so what do you have to look so miserable about?” You asked bored. 

“____…” He warned. 

“Well?” You barely got the word out before he closed the gap connecting his lips with yours in a deep, passionate kiss, you noted that your back met a wall as he pinned you to the surface. 

Had he not pinned both your arms successfully in a feat that almost impressed you, you would have probably buried a hand in his hair again. Somewhere a voice screamed at you to demand an answer from him but you couldn’t care less about whatever the nagging had to say as you thoroughly enjoyed the moment before separating. Catching your breath you smirked up at him, ocean blue eyes stared down at you and you met the intimidating gaze head on as you spoke. 

“I’ll assume it isn’t anger then and instead frustration, if you needed help relaxing there was really no need for the theatrics, you could’ve just asked” you hummed. 

“Theatrics? If you’d been in that battle today you wouldn’t be so quick to joke” he sneered. 

You sighed and manoeuvred your way from the wall and taking his hand pulling him back towards the centre of the room.

“To begin with, you could lose some of this dead weight” you spoke reaching up to remove his headgear, the cape, the heavy gold which decorated his neck and shoulders. 

He allowed you to, helping to removing the layers until he was down to his, too long for your liking, skirt. 

“Well ‘dead weight’ removed and I don’t feel much better, have any other fantastic ideas?” He snapped crossing his arms.

“Patience, I said to begin” you said pushing him back to sit on the bed. 

You had some difficulty hiking up the skirt as you placed a hand on his shoulder and propped yourself up on the bed with your knee.

“If it’s getting in the way just take it off” he said matter-of-factly.

You took him up on that and with some manoeuvring had him down to nothing but a simple pair of underwear. How the hell you’d gone from barely speaking to this you had no idea but you wouldn’t complain, you felt like it was simply picking up from the night of the celebration, maybe he was just a stickler for ‘acceptable conduct’ when it came to official palace business. 

“Much better, you priests really make it difficult with garment length” you sighed.

“Should I take that to mean you’ve had experience?” He asked.

You leaned in grinning trailing your fingers up his length through the thin fabric covering him feeling his body stiffen in response.

“Is that jealousy in your tone?” You asked.

“You wish” he responded defiantly.

You did wish but that wasn’t the issue at hand. You tugged the underwear out of the way making it easier for you to start with teasing strokes and experimental touches from tip to base. While your hand was busy you took the opportunity to connect your lips once more, happy to take the lead in the situation. You felt him move against you, hips moving against your hand. Satisfied he was now hard you broke from the kiss and moved from your current position to your knees moving his legs apart to get in a comfortable position between his legs.

“If I recall this isn’t a dissimilar position to when I first met you” he spoke.

“When you tried to have me arrested? I guess I was on my knees then too” you hummed thinking back and put an end to the conversation by leaning down and trailing your tongue from his base to tip. 

Once you confirmed he had no more smart remarks you got to work, finally back in your comfort zone for the first time since you came here. Using the experience and skill you had switching between teasing licks and sucking motions you felt a hand thread through your hair as you bobbed your head up and down. Your eyes flickered up to see his eyes trained on you and let out a noise of contentment as his hand gripped your hair. He went from tugging and relaxing his grip on your hair as you continued to suck. You heard he’s breathing become ragged as certain movements caused sharp intakes of breath and a positive reaction. 

You would’ve happily continued like that until you got him off using just your mouth but he pulled your head back off his impressive length, your breathing also laboured, seeming to take a moment to gather his thoughts before pulling you against him back onto the bed ending with you straddling him.

The feeling of his length pressed against you through your dress had your imagination in overdrive. It had been so long since you’d last had sex and now with one of the most attractive men you’d clapped eyes on underneath you, your body ached for that kind of intimacy again.

“I thought this was supposed to be relaxing, not torture” he propped himself up and uttered lowly.

“By all means if you aren’t satisfied we can take things further” you said.

He responded by leaning up and kissing you for the third time tonight breaking only to allow you to pull the dress you wore over your head and throw it vaguely in the direction of the floor, naturally you were not so liberally dressed. His hands moved south this time reaching between your legs, his fingers sliding between your folds stopping teasingly at your entrance. He teased you, you were already wet with arousal and he used that to circle your clit a few times with his finger before he pushed one inside you. 

Your breath caught in your throat as a long slender finger moved in and out swirling around, maybe it was because it had been so long but even that mere motion had quite moans slipping from your lips as your hands moved to grip his broad shoulders. In time he added a second finger scissoring and thrusting stretching you in preparation, so this was really happening, it somehow felt surreal to you. Determined to not let him win so easily you pushed him back onto the bed straddling him again. Positioning yourself and taking his member in your hand you smirked down at him lining it up with your entrance. 

“I’m supposed to be helping you relax” you said before lowering yourself down. 

Your breathing shallowed as you slowly took in his entire length reaching down to steady yourself fingertips met with firm muscle that made up his perfectly toned abs. Biting your lip as you met his gaze giving eachother another deep look revelling in the feeling of being so… full. Adjusting to the size you began to move expertly rolling your hips, arching your back and using his chest as a support to hold yourself up. Each time you brought your hips down taking him in again heavy breaths and barely held back moans spilled from your lips. You felt his hands trailing from your knees to your things his grip tightening and relaxing as you went from fast paced movements to slower deeper ones catching your breath. If one good thing was to come from all your training, when it came to riding your stamina should be first class. 

As your body temperature rose so did your arousal, not satisfied feeling like a left-out participant he took the opportunity to move his hips upwards meeting yours in sharp, purposeful thrusts. Naturally with this position his movements hit your deeper and harder than your own could and the first thrust had a needy whine caught in your throat.

“Fuck…” you threw your head back curling your hands, fingers scratching at his skin. 

Once you adjusted to the new pace you felt confident enough to try a sentence without it being interrupted with a moan. 

“Always turning everything into a competition, do you really think you can better me in this arena?” your tone was strained and breathy but as controlled as you could’ve hoped. 

“There’s… Nothing I couldn’t better you in” he responded, the pause he was forced to take and the strain in his voice you revelled in, knowing he was getting just as much out of this as you were made it all the better. 

You leaned forward flattening your palms against his chest again a lopsided smirk on your features between laboured breaths. 

“Then prove it” you challenged. 

He took you up on it, of course he did and that was just what you wanted. He turned the tables, sliding out of you to pin you under him instead then instructed you to turn over. You did as you were asked taking up a position on your hands and knees legs apart ready to continue. His hand reached between your legs finger circling your now hypersensitive clit to tease you causing a swear and a few breathy moans.

“Seto…” You warned gripping the bedsheets desperate for the feeling of him inside you again, to be connected again. 

He granted your silent plea hands firmly on your hips before lining himself up and thrusting back inside you. His pace was punishing and it had your mind reeling, gasping and moaning loudly now as he fucked you mercilessly. You could just tell he had a smug look on his face but you didn’t get the opportunity to confirm it as you focused on using your now trembling arms to keep you upright. Uttering to the gods and begging for more you collapsed forward onto your shoulders your cheek resting against the bed as you heard his own moans slip past his lips between haggard breaths. Your cheeks flushed from the increase in temperature and work out you were getting. The respite was short lived before a hand was in your hair and yanked your head back sharply. You pushed yourself back up shakily before your hair was released, the sweet pain fading, as his arms hooked round yours and he brought your back flush against his chest. 

The new angle gave a whole new sensation to the fray and the feeling of him thrusting deep inside you had you coming undone. You’d slept with plenty of men before him and none of those encounters had felt even close to the euphoria you felt right now. Perhaps it was because you let yourself fully feel the connection or maybe it had something to do with your feelings for Seto himself that made the encounter all the better. One thing was for sure, the man knew how to move his hips just right to drive you wild. 

You felt the sensation well up with each thrust driving you closer, closer and ever closer to the edge. You weren’t going to last much longer at this rate and gauging by the increasing number of moans and curses he uttered you guessed he was in a similar position. You’d kick yourself for allowing yourself to so easily lose the sort of contest you’d set up but your mind could barely string together the sentence to utter out you were mere moments from orgasm, begging for him to keep going. You arched your back crying out his name not giving a damn to how loud you were being, your legs, hips and whole body shook as your orgasm washed over you in blissful waves. Seto answered your pleas fucking you through your orgasm before reaching his own you heard your name strained from him in low tones before he came his thrusts slowing gradually before he slid himself out of you. 

He released your arms and you fell forwards ungracefully towards the bed worn out catching your breath after all your excitement. You turned and pulled him down beside you, it was first time you’d ever comfortably laid next to a man after you were done without immediately jumping up and cleaning off. Although the fact you didn’t have a client list waiting helped. Drowsiness overtook you as you laid a had lazily over his chest contented somehow in just being close to him. If you weren’t sure on your feelings before you certainly had no doubts now, if the sex was going to be like that you could get addicted. 

“We’ll call it a draw” you said breathlessly at last. 

“A draw? You should’ve heard yourself” he teased you. 

You had a million retorts to that but instead of ruining the rare tender moment you shared with an insult or taunt you let the comfortable silence fill the room as both your breathing evened out. Your thoughts stilled for once, perhaps it was the tiredness winning over or maybe you felt a sense of security for the first time in a long time in his arms. Whatever it was you didn’t finish your thought as sleep gripped you and took over.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I'm late with this who could've guessed!  
> Can you tell I haven't written out a sex scene in literally years? For some reason this just took a long time for me to re-draft and work at before I was marginally happy. At the 30,000 word mark I figured a sex scene was only fitting but stay with me guys this relationship is definitely not going to be happy that easily haha...  
> I think the part I struggled with the most was describing what the hell Seto is wearing. I meant to me it seems like two separate pieces of clothing as tunics were predominately old kingdom where as what Atem is shown in is new kingdom so I base my information on this being in the new kingdom era. Being a fashion student I really look into the clothing, shendyts typically refer to the shorter skirt/lioncloth garments men wore and there is very little on the longer versions other than them simply being referred to as skirts/lioncloths by historians so I went with skirt.  
> I know I say this a lot but I will aim for the 7-8 day mark for another update, depending on how work shifts and uni work load treat me, I've really buried my head in the sand about uni with this whole moving everything online because trying to understand the new assignments gives me a headache... still hope you guys enjoy this one and you are keeping well!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW  
> Graphic depiction of miscarriage and death, if these are upsetting to you please proceed with caution.

When you woke the next morning you stretched, slowly, as your brain cleared the cobwebs and began to function the memories of last night flooded back to you. You paused your stretch and pushed yourself up to confirm that your room was empty save for you, your bed only held you and although you waited the man you waited for never appeared.

Your brain naturally now awake worked against you wondering why he had left. The logical side helped you reasoning he had something to do outside of the palace which meant he had to leave early. Of course, you weren’t taking that as gospel wondering when exactly he had slipped out and more importantly why. Did he feel he needed to run away? You knew why you had been quick to distance yourself and scamper out of a bed with a man before, to distance yourself, to cement it meant nothing further to come and you couldn’t help but wonder had he done the same.

He had been distant before and then suddenly it was like you had collided in a very… unlike him encounter now you thought of it. You shook off your thoughts, doubts and worries. Or at least… you tried to.

A sense of déjà vu washed over you as the weeks events unfolded. Once again you were busy and by the Pharaoh’s side. You were glad of it, to speak with him, to have the distraction. With each passing day the familiar feelings of the time before hit you and rather than be upset by it you just felt… numb. Your feelings for Priest Seto were something you no longer tried to deny. However… Nothing stopped him visiting you no matter how busy he was, nothing stopped him from finding the time to utter a simple hello. You left it in his hands, you’d never been the type to run after a man and to confront him after… after all of this felt so degrading it made your stomach churn.

You reasoned that it was an enjoyable way to relive your urges, now you were satisfied for the time being you shouldn’t be wondering or worrying if Priest Seto thought your time together was a simple one-night fling which could be cast aside.

Thinking that you hid your distaste rather well once again focusing on the role you now had to fulfil you hit a bump in your plan to work him out of your system when the Pharaoh announced you’d be sent out with him later in the day.

“Is Shada or Karim not free?” You had asked before you even had time to process it.

“The excuse to get to know them better may have worked once ____, but it won’t work again… Has something happened between you and Seto?” He asked.

“No I just honestly-” he cut you off before you had even finished.

“____ I told you to be open and speak freely with me, you and Seto were joined at the hip and now you are both doing everything to avoid eachother” he said.

Ah… So he had been avoiding you? That just cemented the worst things you could come up with to you. Suddenly you were defensive, you didn’t want to talk about it and to that end you narrowed your eyes.

“I would rather not get into it Pharaoh, it isn’t something I can easily… discuss” you said cryptically and he sighed in response taking your hands in his in an act that caused you to pause and soften your gaze.

“I’ve known Seto a long time and I’d like to hope I know you as well by now, I am certain at least that Seto views you very highly” he said.

“So people keep telling me, maybe if he could bring himself down to earth and show me that instead of acting like I’m so far beneath him” you began a ranting edge entered your tone all the repressed anger and feelings threatening to boil over and spill into your conversation.

“____” he warned squeezing your hands and you stopped long enough to listen to the Pharaoh “it isn’t my place to say but knowing how stubborn he can be I know this is the only way you’ll ever know…” he said and you looked at him silently waiting to hear what he had to say “Seto has only loved one woman the whole time I’ve known him, she was always a sickly girl, he did his best to keep her safe here in the palace” he said.

You felt your cheeks flare, suddenly you didn’t want to hear this story nor did you care for it very much. If he had someone he was so enamoured with then he could disappear into the sun with her instead of messing with your head.

“She died” he said and you heard yourself let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding “she died protecting him, he vowed he’d never even get close to anyone else and then you came into the palace, if you feel he’s shoving you away he probably is but it’s not because he doesn’t care, it’s because he does and he’s afraid he’ll lose someone else close to him” the Pharaoh finished explaining and a wave of guilt for cursing out a dead woman you didn’t even know washed over you.

“With all due respect… He trained me himself, I’ve looked after myself for a long time so he doesn’t need to worry about me doing something stupid like dying, I plan to be around to serve you for many years Pharaoh” you said at last and he sighed and shook his head a smile on his face.

“You are both as stubborn as eachother” he spoke and as soon as he said it a voice cut through the conversation.

“Pharaoh… Whenever she is ready we can leave” it was Seto who spoke and the Pharaoh released your hands.

You turned to look at him a jolt coursing through you as you were suddenly stumped on something to say, despite your harsh review you could relate to his plight of never allowing himself something just because it had ended in disaster once all too well…

“Of course, I won’t take up any more of your time ____” he smiled and nodded to you.

“Oh no it’s always a pleasure to talk with you Pharaoh, anytime” you said and you did mean it, no longer did you utter the words just to pass yourself as being respectful.

With your farewells in place you left following Seto to the stables a thick silence falling over you making you squirm with unease underneath the invisible pressure. You decided to at least ask about the task at hand.

“The Pharaoh didn’t exactly give me concrete details on what the purpose of this outing is, what exactly are we doing?” You asked.

“The territory arguments may have been crushed but it doesn’t stop pig headed individuals going on suicide missions, we are going to scout the outskirts of the city and ensure everything is in order, if there is any resistance we’re well equipped to deal with it given the enemy is unable to use Ka” he explained without even looking at you.

Fine, as long as you knew what your job was you’d simply get on with it, get back and move on with your duties and life at the palace. Mounting your horse you were reminded of the first time outside, the thought of sharing a horse with Seto and the closeness made your heart ache and you grit your teeth willing your irrational emotions back into whatever box you kept trying to lock them in. Even armed with the information the Pharaoh imparted on you how were you to bring it up? Seto wouldn’t appreciate you knowing something like that and would appreciate it even less if he felt you pitied him. Besides you were not some sickly girl who needed a constant body guard and given the Pharaoh’s words you couldn’t help but feel you had been used as some sort of coping mechanism, was it grief or the want of a memory that drove him to you or did he really see you and not the ghost of a lover past?

You didn’t want to think much on it and his sharp voice drew you from your mind snapping at you for seeming unfocused and in truth you had been. Snapping back you whipped down your reigns and rode ahead of him dismissing the shouts you heard behind.

“Keep up priest or I’ll leave you in my dust” you shouted back, it wasn’t the usual playful jest you usually had with him but was spoken in a voice with true conviction.

No more quips were had on your journey, no resistance was found and your trip seemed to be in vain. You were glad of course that the borders were secure and any rising against Egypt had the sense to back off. However you resented this trip you were sent on, could guards not have done this? What were Karim and Shada doing? Had this been the Pharaoh’s shrewd way of forcing you two together to ‘clear the air’ whatever the reasoning that the gods placed you two together you didn’t appreciate it and you would make a point of visiting the shrines of said gods on your way back to the palace.

Stationed momentarily and surveying the outskirts you turned to the high priest and with an edge in your tone you tried to conceal you asked.

“Is that all? The borders have been checked it seems like everything is in order” you said.

“Stop pacing about, what are you so anxious to get back to? The pharaoh’s arms?” He snapped in response.

“Excuse me?” You asked completely lost on what he was driving at.

“Oh come on, war advisor wasn’t good enough for someone like you so now you have to angle for the throne? You couldn’t act any more desperate for him if you tried” he seethed.

“In what world am I angling for the title of Queen? I could think of little worse than marriage if that is what you think of me then you know nothing about me priest” you spat.

“Really? That isn’t how it seems” he said his arms crossed where this sudden crucifixion came from you had no idea.

“How it seems? Let me tell you how it seems to me priest, we slept together and you scurry out as fast as you can, perhaps it hit you I am not the woman you seek but I have no intensions with anyone in the palace, least of all you” you seethed, if he was going to throw those kind of accusations at you, you’d use whatever information you had to throw accusations right back.

“You… Who…” He narrowed your eyes.

“Yes I know, I’m sorry for your loss but I am nobody’s stand in” you responded in a clipped chill tone.

He crossed the distance and gripped your arm, he pulled you close but it wasn’t intimacy it was in a threat.

“Do not think you could ever compare” he seethed at you.

“She must have had quite the hold on you” you commented non plussed and he released you tutting in annoyance.

“Speak not on things you do not know” he snapped.

“I would advise you to do the same, marriage is completely off the cards to me, I see revealing my name to you was enough of a mistake I won’t be as careless with any secrets of real worth” you spat and got on your horse ready to set off.

“Wait” he called out with a defeated sigh and walked to you taking your wrist in his hand, “____ I do not compare you to her, she was… she showed me…” He stopped speaking like it was difficult for him to bring it up, “there is really nothing to you and the Pharaoh?” He asked.

“Between training with and fucking you where did I have the time to win the Pharaoh’s favour priest? I told you I was distancing myself from my old profession, yet my old clients never treated me in such a way as you have” you felt upset and anger did make an edge in your tone but you tried to keep your voice level.

“I… I did not mean to treat you…” he paused and sighed “I do not count our interactions as meaningless or something to be exchanged for money” he said at last like it was killing him to utter it you held up a hand to signal you would hear no more of it.

“You need not convince me of your intentions priest, I will not be a replacement for you nor will I make things awkward for us in court, as war advisor it’s crucial we work together, the palace has already noticed tensions I don’t need brought into scrutiny, as our work is done here I will bid you farewell” you said unable to believe that he was not comparing or treating you as a stand in, thinking of another woman when he looked at you.

“____” he tried to reason but you would hear none of it.

“Seto, I also never treated our encounters as throw away, let’s leave this pointless topic of conversation and move on” you said but really you had past demons which haunted you and needed exorcised before you could allow yourself into any sort of relationship or allow you to listen to reason.

He had no reply to your final words of honesty taking small comfort in the fact you had at least confirmed it had not been meaningless. You both had skeletons in the closet to work through and stubborn spirits would not easily allow you to part from them.

On your ride back to the palace your conversation brought memories back from your past, of the family you had left and the sister you had lost. True to your earlier thinking you stopped by the shrine of Sekhmet and once again asked the lioness headed goddess to lend you strength. A goddess of war and protector of the Pharaoh’s armies would do little to help your turmoil of the heart but she could harden your resolve and help you to carry out your duties as war advisor to the best of your abilities.

When back in the palace you found yourself wandering, ending up back in what you now knew to be the Pharaoh’s wing. He was situated at the same balcony overlooking the sun kissed gardens when you approached him. He turned to you asking how things were and instead of answer your body moved forward and collapsed onto him. His arms moved to hold you up and his words comforted you trying to coax out a response as to your depressed demeanour.

“I am happy to report the boarders are secure, no enemy makes move on the palace or Egyptian people” you reported dutifully.

“And I am glad to hear it, but ____ we both know you do not collapse into me because of relief, I take it your relationship with Seto is still strained?” He asked.

You pushed yourself off him and sighed before nodding stilling your heart, carrying these weights on your own was not healthy and if he was so insistent you speak to him you would grant his wish.

“You want me to be honest and frank so I shall, we argued, he accused me of wanting to become Queen of Egypt, of being desperate for your affections, in turn I used what you told me against him, he swears he does not compare me to the dead but I can’t believe him, when he looks at me, does he see me? Or does he project her?” You sighed.

“A difficult question and given how he handles or rather denies grief it is a natural worry, I take it your relationship has strayed as far as intimacy?” He asked.

“I regret it and yet I don’t, I should’ve seen how out of character it was for him and yet I allowed myself to shrug it all off” you cursed yourself.

“You feel for him ____, it is only natural you should want him to feel the same, I cannot advise you but I can only ask that you not be too harsh on him, he is a complicated man but I doubt he would stoop as low as to use you after all the death was over a year ago and he had plenty of suitors to use to fill that loss yet he didn’t” he said.

His words calmed you a little. Thinking back to Seto’s earlier argument you thought of how displeased he would be to know you were spending more time with the Pharaoh and the thought put a depreciating smile on your lips. If only he could see now the sight before him. Before you would’ve ran to him with your worries and insecurities asking for his advice and now you turned to the Pharaoh.

“Thank you for listening to my ramblings, I have asked Sekhmet to give me strength and I feel more at ease after letting someone know what has been happening” you said.

“It’s no trouble, I’m glad you finally feel you can trust me” he responded.

You bowed slightly and returned to more familiar grounds as the evening stretched into night. Emotionally exhausted you collapsed onto your bed and sighed. While not an overly physically tiring day especially in comparison to some of your training days sleep came easily to you but it was not exactly peaceful.

_The stone walls were familiar, your house, your old house. Groans could be heard and your feet rushed to carry you to the source outside under the arbor where your sister seemed to be in agony, her husband of just over 9 months at her side hushed her and you raised concerns but your mother assured you this was all perfectly normal. Given the economical status of your family all help in the birthing process fell on your mother who had the experience of two children behind her. Your sister’s husband was there for supposed emotional support and you had muscled in to help and try to be some sort of calming influence._

_She was kneeling on birthing bricks trying to regulate her breathing and you shoved your way to her side holding her hand telling her to grip as hard as she liked. Her brows were knitted but her grip was nowhere near as strong as you would’ve liked and a sinking feeling had you convinced something was wrong. She’d never been a particularly strong girl despite being the eldest you had taken the role of protector for her. Your mother had her eyes closed uttering prayers to the gods, Hathor being the main goddess she looked to for a safe delivery. You were only 14 at the time, no experience of childbirth to your name so treated your mother’s encouragement as gospel, she’d done this before, it would be fine. You had helped decorate the bricks with hieroglyphs and depictions of any of the gods and goddesses which could help. Your own prayers were to Amun to help ease her pain, there was no signs of the pain easing however and when there was no sign of a child emerging and instead blood your mother’s composure finally broke._

_She called on your father to bring hot water hoping the steam would help ease the process her prayers ramping up and you were shouting at her about the situation. Her grip was weakening and her skin tone had a sickly grey wash to it. She wasn’t even wailing in pain, just weak groans as more blood, so much blood gushed from her. Her husband was getting antsy adding to your protests and asking what was wrong. Your mother’s face was dark and grave looking as she urged her daughter to try and push._

_“She’ll be ok right!?” You stammered holding her hand close to you, squeezing it tightly as if you could somehow transfer your own strength or take some of the burden of what she was currently going through._

_A large bundle covered in red hit the water beneath her and suddenly everyone was silent, no prayers were uttered and you held your breath. Her husband was the first to move, to speak._

_“Is that…? Is that my child?” He asked horror stricken._

_“What… what’s wron…g?” Your sister managed to weakly say._

_“The baby is gone Ama” your mother shushed ready to calm her daughter who barely had the strength to be grief stricken, shock settling over her._

_Her husband stood suddenly turning his back and moving as if to walk away._

_“Where do you think your going!?” You demanded._

_Your sister weakly held out her hand to him a look of fear on her pain stricken features but he grunted._

_“She failed to give me an heir” was his parting words and you looked at him at a loss for words._

_It would take another 30 minutes for her to bleed out, there was so much blood, trailing from the arbor to the bed where she took her final gasps. You stayed at her side the whole time trying to comfort her, praying to the gods, the scene was nightmarish and seared into your head. There was nothing you could do at this point but try to make her as comfortable as possible. She weakly asked for her husband and your rage boiled over but you kept your mouth shut to insults at the man opting to be strong and support her until she passed… Your only concern was that your presence and support would somehow help ease her the fact that you could be with her all the way to the end offering you some small comfort as tears poured from your eyes and you forced your sobbing to become quiet gasped breaths, all you had to do was be strong for her... till the end..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been an absolute age since I've updated this and I'd like to apologise, my upload schedule probably won't be much better until mid-end May when I get all my assignments handed in. I also really wanted to take my time and research into how childbirth worked in ancient Egypt because I was seriously surprised at how different it is to modern day child birth. Also I wanted to get the facts of what happens during miscarriage and talk about it a bit because it does happen and it's very rarely ever brought up, still to this day a taboo. The ancient Egyptians had a much better way of dealing with it I think, giving proper burial etc. I can only hope that this is factually accurate and also sensitive enough to the topic as I know it is very dark and traumatic. The aftermath is still felt by the RC years after despite the fact it wasn't even her miscarriage she only witnessed it and the topic will be a continued theme in the next chapter/throughout. I know it's a bit of a tough read and I'd love to tell you it's going to be all uphill and fluffy but haaa.... Thanks again to anyone who is reading and leaving kudos and I hope to get back onto a semi acceptable upload schedule soon especially since after my assignments are done I'll have nothing to do but work and I need a break from customers abuse.


	13. Chapter 13

You woke with a start, shooting up from your bed, shivering and covered in a cold sweat. From the light outside you could tell considerable time had passed and it was after dawn. Despite your sleep you did not feel at all rested. The vivid memory rushing you from your fragmented dreams made you feel sick and you wondered had your recent predicament and talk of death brought it all back. More likely it had been the topic of marriage which had been broached. It wasn’t marriage itself but bearing a child that was quick to make you clam up fearful that you would end up in a similar position to your sister with no one to comfort you to the end. 

The foetus had been carefully embalmed and persevered, given its own send off, prayers and the smallest coffin you had seen. It almost amazed you how something so small could grow to a person or rather… would have had he or she lived. The coffin was buried with your sister and her so called husband had all but deserted your family. For months the house felt empty, the gaping hole never filled for you. Slowly your mother and father helped eachother move on… Well perhaps not move on but function. You had barely turned 15, not even a year after the death when they decided to arrange your own marriage. It was a natural process, all young girls were paired off and to many families like yours it was a good way to move up the economic ladder. 

You had been disgusted, you had rowed, argued and fought with both your parents. Your denial of the events had left your wounds to fester taking you longer to come to the terms with the trauma and allowing yourself to try and make sense of what had happened was difficult. When they threw this marriage on you all you could envision was your own body bloodied and struggling to breath as you failed to produced an heir for a man who didn’t care about you beyond what you could produce. Never you vowed, never would you allow that. Your first protests had been heard out, you’d been close to your sister they reasoned you’d still be upset and pushed back a marriage. However with more time demands were made and eventually your father told you in no uncertain terms that you would not bring dishonour on his house and you would be married willingly or not. 

It was at that point you severed all ties, striking your own father you fled from your household shunned by your family and outcast as a traitor you took up your place amongst the bottom of society. Doing whatever you could just to survive, because that was all you wanted, to live, to survive. Thinking of it all gave you a headache and you pressed a hand to your stomach nausea hitting you in waves. It intensified the more your thoughts and memories attacked you until the image of your dead sister seared so vividly in your mind forced you up and to the bathroom emptying the contents of your stomach with retching motions. You put a hand shakily on the wall to support yourself feeling devoid of all strength as if you weren’t really in your own body. 

Your past had not attacked your psyche so viciously in years and it threatened to leave you devastated. Fixing your appearance, smoothing your night dress you reasoned that a trip to the baths would be the most beneficial thing. Feeling weak you exited your room and made your way to the baths slipping in and allowing yourself to relax. No one else was here at this hour, any servants busy with tasks by now and you enjoyed the peace. Being able to clean yourself up, to try to clear your head and relax as much as you could made you feel a little better but you knew better than to expect this not to affect you. You splashed water half-heartedly thinking of Seto and the woman who had died for him. You thought she was an idiot, to blindly give herself for a man, for someone… Well you couldn’t accuse him of not caring or abandoning her it was all to clear he did care and maybe that’s what irritated you the most. The fact that you had men as a race so figured out entirely and there he was, trying to shatter those expectations. Regardless of how he had treated his previous woman his treatment of you had been poor to say the least and you breathed heavily through your nose angrily flicking the water away from you as if trying to rid the thoughts of him with it. 

You sighed and immersed yourself in the clear waters, letting it swallow you up and floating gently in it’s grasp only resurfacing when air was needed gasping and catching your breath.   
You sighed once more and pushed yourself out of the waters. They had given you all the healing you would get. Although you could pray for clarity you thought bitterly on how the gods had done little for your sister, so why should they help you? Wrapping the light dress you had brought around you, you combed your hair out with your fingers and decided to visit the palace gardens, a place you had not been in some time. 

The courtyard opened out into a beautiful array of pools and plants with slabs to sit on littered throughout, just as you had remembered it. Moving to the back a raven-haired figure caught your eye and she smiled at you before you had the chance to get away and be on your own. Rather reluctantly you opted against being rude and joined Isis who once more had an array of fruit in front of her.   
“Have you eaten? Feel free” she said motioning to the food. 

Just looking at it made you feel uncomfortable, your nausea from earlier not totally resolved. 

“Ah… Thank you but I’ll pass” you said. 

“Is something the matter? You seem pale, your features burdened, is it Seto?” She asked. 

You knit your brow biting back a scathing comment. You wished everyone in this palace would back off and stay out of other’s affairs. With the amount of scrutiny and rumour you were subject to you began to feel that your, or what you now called, ‘stress relief’ was turning into a bigger headache than the event had been worth regardless of how much you’d enjoyed it. 

“It is nothing that concerns priest Seto, I didn’t sleep well that is all, I’d appreciate if I could go through one day without a member of the court insinuating my life is falling apart with him not at my side, I’d be a very poor war advisor if I had to rely on a man or anyone for that matter” you responded sharply trying to stay diplomatic. 

“… My apologies as priestess and given my millennium item” she touched the item which hung delicately around her neck “I am used to knowing a lot about everything even before it happens” she explained. 

“It’s… It’s fine I just don’t like to explain the same thing over again” you sighed feeling a little bad for your sour reply. 

“Still I can tell you that bottling things up never works out, you may be able to cope with whatever is troubling you now but eventually it will wear you down” she said as if she knew. 

“… I’ll keep that in mind when I find something worth troubling myself over and not something trivial” you responded, because in comparison to what you had been through and what you had witnessed the issue you faced with Seto was so trivial it embarrassed you how upset you had let yourself become over it all. 

Isis looked up to the clear skies above her and sighed as if something was weighing heavy on her mind too and you paused your inner monologing to pick up on it and after a moment you finally asked.   
“It seems you have something on your mind also” you spoke. 

“…Yes… I see dark times ahead, very dark, for all of us” she spoke “but I” she shook her head as if she was frustrated “normally the visions granted to me are so vivid, so clear, but lately it’s as if they are shrouded, as if something is stopping me from seeing yet I can tell it is not good” she sighed. 

“It sounds like an omen, if these visions you see will happen in the future then we can change that course surely” you spoke trying to encourage her but she shook her head. 

“No… Even when I see things crystal clear once the millennium necklace shows me the future it is not something which can be altered, it is set in stone as destiny and it has never been wrong” she said. 

The talk of some ominous future event concerned you as your first thought was on a war that Egypt lost. Perhaps it wasn’t right to be grateful to ill omens, but the fact distracted you from the memories of your past and the ill feelings it gave you. 

“What will you do about this?” You asked. 

“I will try and see again, perhaps today will give me more answers as to what is to come” she said. 

“You need rest Isis” a third voice entered and you looked up and smiled. 

“Mahado!” You called and he nodded at you. 

“She’s been pushing herself lately trying to figure out this phantom which is coming for us, you are no use to us exhausted Isis and you know that you need to take more care” he explained concern in his tone. 

“Perhaps some appeals to the gods would be wise, has the pharaoh been told of this?” You asked. 

They exchanged uneasy glances before Isis spoke again.

“We decided it best to not inform him until I have something solid to go off, it would cause needless unrest to relay to him that dark times are ahead with no way to plan for them or what they may be” she explained.

“Can we trust you to keep this between us?” Mahado asked. 

“Of course, it makes sense why you wouldn’t want to cause any worry just yet, after all we just recently got some territorial issues under control, we should let him focus on that victory” you said. 

“Ah yes, you and Seto were sent to patrol the borders correct? Any trouble?” He asked. 

“Yes, but none from the enemy” you responded bitterly. 

“Ah… I see…” was all he said having the wit not to press you for more after Isis shot him a look. 

“Well I wish you the best with your problem and please look after yourself” you spoke and stood. 

“The same to you ____, remember what I said” Isis bid you farewell as did Mahado. 

Moving back inside you returned to your room, hair now dry and dressed for the day. Slipping out of the sheer wrap dress you opted for something more suitable should you be called to court or have to attend the Pharaoh as you did most days. Applying your makeup, you felt more yourself and more back to normal than you had for the past few days. 

The conversation you had with Isis was now heavy on your mind and you ventured out to the throne room, perhaps there you might find some answers to the questions heavy on your mind and further distract yourself from the ghosts of your past which haunted you. 

As you got closer you could hear discussion, a male voice was pleading and although you could make out little curiosity propelled you further until you had entered the throne room greeted with the vision of the Pharaoh on his throne, the man you had heard was one of the Priests, Akhenaden, who had helped you in strategy before. 

“The Hittite empire has been expanding rapidly, they have tried to take territory from us we cannot idly sit back and allow them to get away with such acts” he said. 

“We would be fools to think that Egypt is the only empire in the world, they have strong armies and masses in number, starting a war with them would cost countless lives needlessly” the Pharaoh responded. 

Ah, this was about the recent territorial tensions, both Egypt and the Hittite empire had been looking at expansion, the current Pharaoh was not so focused on creating an empire but on keeping his borders secure and seeing his people were happy. With them occupying most of the middle east conflict was bound to arise and both sides had been testing to see what the could get away with without causing all-out war.

“But if we strike them…” He began. 

“Enough! I will hear no more on this topic, we are not going to war with Muwatallis and his empire, I am sure he does not wish the death of his people either” the Pharaoh said in response an edge to his tone you knew well as you crossed to stand by his side narrowing your eyes at the priest. 

They both brought up valid points and ultimately you sided with the Pharaoh, war seemed pointless especially if it was avoidable, while the glory was tempting it left the people residing in the Egyptian empire restless and prone to revolt if war continued on too long. Not to mention the drain it would cause on resources. 

“… Very well” was the muttered response he gave and Seto, who you hadn’t even noticed till now, rushed to his side exchanging words looking up at the Pharaoh and you before wordlessly striding off with the other priest. 

Seeing him and given the awkward air that still surrounded you your stomach did uneasy flips as conflicting feelings rushed to you. You pushed them aside to focus on the bigger and more important issues, whatever immature crush this was if you ignored it for long enough you’d get over it.

“… Is there still trouble with the Hittites?” You asked after a moment waiting for the pair to leave.

“No… At least not presently, however their growing power suggests there could be” the Pharaoh sighed and looked up at you. 

“Well we always have the power to supress them if need be, soldiers are usually not much of a match against ka” you said trying to encourage him. 

“Yes as my father proved quite well in the last war… However the soldiers we send out in the thousands do not posses the ability to wield ka as we do freely, no matter our advantages a war will always cause causalities and that is something I’m determined to avoid” he said. 

“That’s understandable Pharaoh, it’s admirable you care so much for your people, Pharaohs of past would not be as quick to value their lives” you commented. 

“Part of my job is to look after my people, I can hardly complete that role by sending them needlessly to their deaths” he spoke. 

“Still Akhenaden must have concern enough if he feels he can question you” you noted.

“As I’ve explained ____, I try to encourage my inner court to speak freely to me, I am glad he feels confident enough to bring this up to me and he was a most trusted advisor to my father, but he has always been inclined for the more violent solutions” he said to you and you simply nodded. 

You could see Seto agreeing with those more violent solutions especially with how they seemed to band together. 

“Is there a story to their closeness?” You asked. 

“Hm? Akhenaden and Seto? Well Akhenaden taught Seto virtually everything when he joined us, I suppose they have that sort of master and apprentice relationship, Seto respects him deeply, why?” he asked you gazed at the entrance the two men had left from and then shook your head. 

“No, it’s nothing, I think Seto mentioned that when I began to focus more on strategy but I was just curious” you said but couldn’t get the uneasy feeling to leave you. 

The talk of the Hittite, Isis’s dark prediction and now members of the inner circle beginning to raise ideas of taking the fight to them despite being in a period of peace was enough to have you cautious. The events of your nightmare did nothing to help ease you and you could only pray you had a better rest tonight.

“What are your thoughts on the situation?” He asked you were caught off guard and brought from your thoughts to think on it. 

“Well… I agree with your standpoint, if conflict is avoidable that is naturally the best course, on the flipside if we allow them to expand freedom and tread on our territory they may see as us weak and launch an offensive” you said after a moment. 

“Mm… It is a troubling topic, I wonder if reaching out to Muwatallis would be best, if we could reach an amicable agreement of peace it would benefit us both” he said. 

“In an ideal world, but not all rulers are as focused on peace as you, especially those set on rapid expansion and gain” you responded. 

“Yes… You raise some good points, I have a great deal of thought to put into this topic at any rate, after we pushed them back there should be little resistance at least for now” he rested his chin on his hand. 

“I’m sure you’ll guide us through this and if you ever need a second opinion you know where I am” you said. 

“Yes you’ve become a real asset to us, to me ____, Isis was not wrong in her prediction” he complimented and you shrugged it off stating you were just doing your job before taking your leave since there was nothing more for you to do and he needed time to consider options. 

Things definetly looked bleak on the outlook if tensions were not calmed down and… Would the court ever go against the Pharaoh? Courts had before, countless times, but given the seeming loyalty and his treatment, would they? Or did they view it as weakness in this situation? You couldn’t quite make up your mind and definetly saw Akhenaden’s side also, if you had subconsciously prayed for some sort of distraction the gods had delivered and then some. You had a future to look at now, an empire to defend and you still clung to your will to survive and given these predicted dark times… That may prove difficult.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I said I wasn't uploading until I got all my uni work submitted and here I am a filthy liar, typical. I've been having a pretty rough time of it and was watching a program on the valley of the kings which gave me a few good ideas and spurt of creativity. Writing this is sort of becoming my little treat to myself or some sort of coping mechanism through all this.   
> I'm uploading this at 12.30 am and I have work at 4am (: All of my remaining assignments are due in midnight on the 12th so that will finish off anything stopping me writing this consistently other than work pulling me in for extra shifts.   
> Hope this makes sense, this chapter was mainly just to build and give a little background on who the adversary is going to be, I wanted to go for a more realistic battle and not the Bakura Resurrection of evil route since the final season was a bit of a hot mess plot wise. I probably won't include Bakura at all in this and focus more on historical battles with the twist of kas and the court etc. I noticed I hadn't named the Hittite empire in the previous chapter so hopefully the short bg clears that up and there will be more info on battles and what not to come. Again thanks for the kudos and comments it really does motivate me and I hope your all doing well.


	14. Chapter 14

In the coming week the court seemed… fragmented. You took your usual place at the Pharaoh’s side but could not shake the air of tension that had settled over the usual affairs of the court and meetings.

The topic of the Hittite empire was broached a few more times with little movement on the situation one way or the other. It seemed some priests were in favour of crushing the enemy before they had time to grow enough in power to pose a serious threat. However other members, like yourself, seemed cautious to move in bull-headed and instead opted to hear out arguments from both sides, with you ultimately unable to come up with any solid decision. It left the court filled with an awkward air, halfway glances shared at any opinions which were… not satisfactory to some.

You leaned towards holding off on conflict until the Hittite’s launched another attack, if they even did so. At least if they made another move then Egypt would be justified in hitting back full force. Perhaps the Pharaoh could appeal to their king and come to some sort of agreement, however given Isis’ prediction that seemed like an ever-shrinking possibility. The idea of wanting peace may also make Egypt seem weak and unprepared for war. You focused your attention mainly on training the soldiers now under your watch and it wasn’t until the end of the week that things reached a fever pitch and finally bubbled over into action.

A soldier had broken off and stumbled through the main courtyard collapsing to his knee in front of the Pharaoh, you sitting close by as you typically were at this point in the day. Anyone present naturally turned their attention to the man as he babbled out apologies before the Pharaoh held up his hand.

“At ease, what has happened?” He tried to coax the man to speak on the matter which had him so vexed.

“I-It’s high priest Akhenaden and Seto my Pharaoh, they took a small faction of the army to Kadesh to try and reconquer the land” the soldier got out.

Everyone was instantly on edge, Kadesh was positioned right on the border of the Hittite and Egyptian empire and as such claim to the area of land hand changed hands more times than you cared to remember. You could understand why that was the area to target but why now? Why after settling territorial disputes and seeming to adopt peace especially when past attempts to reconquer had ended in failure. You shot up and stared the soldier down who shrank.

“They what!?” You shouted.

“T-they have already made good headway but we have word the Hittite presence is strong there and we will need support” the soldier squeaked.

“Hah! They should’ve thought about that before they went on a suicide mission” you snapped.

“We must meet them, rally support” the Pharaoh said.

“But-“ you began.

“They launched the attack and backed us into a corner all we can do is hope you can reach them in time to talk them out of it or if that is no longer possible we must win this fight and prepare for war” he snapped back and you blinked before bowing not quite understanding why he would go out of us way for the two who had gone against him.

“You! Get my horse” you spoke hastily at the soldier who nodded and scampered off as you went to get your armour. Mahado followed you close behind and said he would accompany you.

On your way to the stables he spoke to you and sighed letting you in on his thoughts, soldiers were rallying and the palace was filled with chatter and an air of urgency. Supplies were loaded as the journey to Kadesh was no small one and would be an overnight trip.

“I wouldn’t have expected it from either of them… But from Seto…? Never” he spoke.

“Oh I would” you replied anger coursing through you, when you got your hands on them they would pray to the gods.

“But to disobey the Pharaoh ____… This is grave, I have no idea what will happen to them” Mahado sighed.

Your eyes narrowed at nothing in particular, a part of you did worry for the priest with blue eyes but he had decided this fate on his own and just as he had not done for you when you arrived you would not defend him or his rash to you actions. Silently you offered no other comment to the talk and got your horse, soldiers were being mobilised with chariots and on horseback. It was all swiftly coming together cementing the gravity of the situation at hand.

“Let’s hope we don’t get there too late to stop them getting themselves killed” you sighed.   
Mahado gave you a look but nodded.

“They are both extremely capable and strong, they’ll be fine” he responded, perhaps in an attempt to comfort you, it didn’t.

You just nodded, your sense of urgency and want to protect the two priests who had gone rogue came in under your anger with them. You had been told Seto was like you in the respect he was allowed into the palace from nothing, why would he throw that away in the pursuit of expansion? He had told you enough times how lucky you had been to be allowed in. He wasn’t Pharaoh, he was not in the position to make those decisions and Akhenaden… You couldn’t work out for the life of you why he of all people was rushing to take action. You couldn’t speak overly well on his character but he never indicated he was capable of doing this, unless he had been persuaded?

Putting such thoughts from your mind you rode, Mahado and yourself out in front followed by some 40,000 men behind you. No small number but still a fraction of the almost 100,000 men Egypt had in its army. The Hittite’s also had numbers that were not to be scoffed at and without bringing the full force of the army to them you had to hope that the men you had and the ka you wielded were enough to bring victory.

Looking back you watched as the gates of the capital grew smaller behind you, making the trek from Thebes to Kadesh official. Save for the sound of chariots and horses little else changed your journey. A few smaller villages on the outskirts of the central empire changed the scenery slightly but large portions of the trip were mainly large open expanses of desert.

Good time was made all in all and when night fell the topic of resting was broached. This long a journey would not be made in one go that much was evident. The horses would need rest and soldiers would need food.

“What’s the minimum time we can stop for? We want to catch up to the other’s, if at all possible, and stop this before it goes too far” you spoke to Mahado.

“I think it unlikely we will reach them now, they had a good head start on us and we also need to be careful about our own stamina” he said.

He raised good points, if you were going into battle being well rested and in the best possible condition was crucial. Camping out was already going to be less comfortable than the usual splendour of the palace but rather than complain you put up with it having had plenty of experience with street living before your time as war advisor.

“I just can’t understand… Kadesh has been a thorn in our side for years, with failed attempts to take it over, ownership changing hands, even if we win and reclaim it that strip of land is a symbol of power between our two empires it will do nothing but raise tensions to fight there” you spoke to Mahado now you had a moment camped just outside of a small settlement.

The soldiers rounded up, chatted and drank amongst themselves another good few hours of riding ahead of them tomorrow still. Mahado looked up to the stars, it was now late into the night and considered your words.

“To prove power there is really no other target to take, what I find puzzling is how few men they took or how they thought they could do this without backing” he sighed.

“Ego gives rise to stupidity” you replied.

“Even then, Seto may be prideful but he isn’t stupid, he should know how uphill this battle will be and the impact attacking the Hittites will have” Mahado reasoned.

You were angry that much was definetly true and perhaps you were allowing that emotion to cloud your judgement. Your prior feelings mixed in with a damn good reason to distrust him only fuelled the fire. You couldn’t promise you wouldn’t demand explanations when you got there conflict or not. Despite your conflicting emotions you relented at least for the now, settling for the night

Your rest was not the best you had ever had but still served as better than none at all. The downtime allowed you breathing space to think more clearly, while you were still livid at the turn of events you felt more level-headed than you had been prior. The sun was just peeking over the horizon beginning to coat the desert in its warm glow. The morning was not yet warm from the sun but you knew how quickly the cold climate could turn to sweltering heat in the middle of the desert. Thankfully the bulk of your journey had been completed the day before with only another half day ahead of you. By midday you hoped to reach Kadesh and hopefully have some men to save. Given the head start Akhenaden and Seto had it was close to 0 that they would not be engaged in conflict when you arrived, and any accusations would need to wait until the conflict was resolved.

Rounding the men, rallying them with a short speech and break down of the plan supplies were packed up with horses and chariots mounted. Chatter and movement filled the makeshift campsite you had set up for in the night and as you narrowed your eyes and surveyed the progress Mahado came to your side placing a hand on your shoulder startling you.

“Sorry” he offered.

“No, it’s fine” you replied relaxing now you knew it was him.

“Did you manage to get any rest?” He asked.

“Some… But not my best nights sleep, there’s little use over thinking… we just have to press on” you sighed.

“It isn’t the most favourable of situations… In all my time serving the Pharaoh I’ve never lived to see the time we fought not just our enemies but eachother” he said.

Mounting your horse with a grimace you smirked bitterly and looked out at the sands in front of you which marked the second leg of your journey.

“It sounds like the court has been very sheltered from humanities traits for quite some time” you said knowing all too well that simply sharing a nationality did not mean for a second loyalty.

Your journey passed not unlike the day before, the sun rose in the sky with each passing hour turning the mild winds of the dawn to blistering heat as you pressed on. The few villages you passed were small in comparison to the capital you had left behind in Thebes and you felt anxiety well up in you the closer you marched to your destination.

The estimate of reaching Kadesh by midday had been accurate, running into no issues on the journey there was nothing to slow you down. While initially nothing seemed to suggest a slaughter you were on edge and exchanged a worried glance with Mahado as you continued into the seemingly deserted strip of land. Moving through the main city and towards the Orontes river finally opened up and revealed the conflicted that was anticipated.

You weren’t sure what you expected, a stack of Egyptian soldiers strewn dead on the battle ground? The Hittites falling to that same fate at the hand of kas? Whatever it was the scene of men clashing and the Egyptian factions seemingly pinned down and vastly outnumbered flung any accusations or questions as to why this attack had even been launched from your mind as you focused on saving as many men as you could from needlessly dying in this fight. The extra men were sorely needed and thanks to the swift intervention it seemed like a more even fight. Kas were deployed and you too flicked the wings of your diadhank out to add to those ranks as your rode down the riverbank. While you could see their ka you couldn’t spot the priests who wielded them. Anxiety rising you had little time to worry much on their safety as soon you too were engulfed in the battle.

Being smaller than the majority of the men fighting, along with being the only female on the field made you a seemingly easy target. Your stature however had its advantages when it came to evasion and what you lacked in strength you made up for with swift movements and your two dragons which guarded you closely from any oncoming opponents. Hand to hand you could comfortably take on 2-3 soldiers at a time, given that their training was not as extensive as yours. The battle seemed to have been ongoing for some time before you arrived and the endurance the Hittite soldiers had was dwindling giving you an added advantage.

Kicking one back before spinning round to guard your back quickly, the golden spear you carried clanging off the different metal which made the weapon your opponent carried. The look on his face was one of surprise, possibly that you had countered or more likely that you were female and could hold your own. Credit where credit was due your ka had done little to put off any attackers and while Tefnuit and Gebeb dispatched of them with ease you released one of them to support others fighting in the fray of it all. Somewhere in the chaos you had lost Mahado and seeing only a flash of purple which signified his ka you had to assume he was also fine and carried on.

Making short work of the soldier in front of you it was all you could do to hold down your position and defend, chariots raced past you along with horses with no riders and bodies fell here and there. The noise, shouts, cries and movement was all most deafening pounding against your skull as you struggled and strained to hear what could be someone sneaking up a useless task in the chaos. At this noise level it sounded like the full Hittite army was headed for you but you pushed the worry away and fought on.

Stepping over one of the many fallen soldiers arrows whizzing past as archers began their assault you looked away from a chariot which passed you, Egyptian, it’s occupant slumped over blood plastering the side clearly no longer part of this world.

Gritting your teeth you pushed through the pain of your screaming muscles to fight on, ditching the ever growing heavier spear in favour of your two lighter blades you made your way through the battlefield pushing deeper and deeper into the fray. The Hittites may have had numbers in this battle but their chariots were sluggish and they did not have the added help of ka, you were somewhat confident that the campaign may not end in total disaster.

At least you had been confident until a significantly taller man struck you and forced you back into the sand causing your world to spin, pushing yourself up with haste disregarding ever signal your brain fired at you about pain the adrenaline helped to keep you going. About to start defending for your life unsteadily as two other soldiers joined him in an attempt to take you out you grit your teeth cursing this whole damn battle and whoever’s stupid idea it had been when the men where swiftly dealt with.

A large glittering white dragon made short work of them reducing what once were men to ash in mere seconds in front of you before it turned teeth bared at you striking blue eyes that seemed like they could pierce your soul. You felt petrified in it’s gaze wondering who had summoned the beast, you had never come across it before at the place. A hand grabbed you from behind and pushed you back before a tall figure in cerulean blues and whites moved swiftly to block the next incoming attack. The move was almost graceful against the backdrop of war and instantly recognising the man who had come to your aid as none other than high priest Seto himself you narrowed your eyes briefly at him but turned to defend the rear.

Your back hit against his as you both found yourselves surrounded. The white dragon circled and struck when it could your own ka returning to you to help giving some much needed breathing room to the conflict.

“What the hell are you doing here!?” He hissed.

“Is now _really_ the time?” You snapped “The Pharaoh’s orders as this attack is unauthorised, I could ask you plenty as to why you are here too” you replied bringing your blades up hearing no response, just as well you really didn’t want to hear excuses right now.

The Hittite numbers seemed relentless and while the added forces you brought had helped it still was only a fraction of the army Egypt had. Even the usually so calm and arrogant priest had lost his headpiece somewhere in the fray and looked scuffed and worn out by the battle, Ra knew how long he had been pushing back against them before you had arrived.

“We can’t fight like this all night, something has to give” you snapped behind you pushing a soldier back narrowly evading what would have been a deep gash in your shoulder.

“You think I don’t know that!?” He shouted back at you.

If he knew then why the hell did he go on such a doomed mission? You couldn’t make sense of it and feeling yourself slowly tire from the constant barrage of combat you wondered how long you’d last before exhaustion made you slip up.

“To hell with this!” You heard and you never thought you’d hear Seto of all people seemingly give up on a battle.

A horse had ran past, again with no rider, quite a few had passed by like that now and grabbing onto it and hoisting himself up he reached out for you.

“Come on, or do you intend to die here?” He asked the urgency in his tone tearing any real venom out of his words.

As much as you wished you could laugh at his offer and decline you were in way out your depth with a battle like this and of the two of you he outranked you in experience. Grabbing his hand he pulled you on and you quickly held onto him as he tore across the battle ground.

“We need to find Akehnaden” he said and you scanned the battlefield.

“Mahado too, we got separated when the fight started” you raised your voice over the shouts and chaos of the noise around you.

As Seto was in charge of actually controlling the horse it left you to do what minimal defending you could. Your ka did most of the work however a Hittite chariot had tailed the horse and was gaining on you steadily. Any intervention from your ka was too risky as it could take you out as well and you were now forced to rely on the spear you had. You managed to jam it into one of the wheels of the chariot that had been pursuing you. The broken wheel caused the chariot to flip over on itself and while it took care of the problem you had lost your spear to do it.

Infront you watched as Seto summoned his ka, Battle Ox, the one which had almost taken your head in training. Glancing down to his diadhank you saw how low his ba gauge was and grimaced at the thought.

“Save your energy, I have two ka already and I can still fight” you warned him.

“This much won’t kill me” was the only snapped response you got.

Your journey across the battlefield was not fruitful either, Mahado was no where to be seen and you scanned the skies to see if you could even catch a glimpse of his ka somewhere, but the purple mage was nowhere to be found. The creeping feeling of anxiety and nausea induced from worry began to build up on you. Akhenaden was also missing and a group of soldiers charged at you forcing you to make your way back up the riverbank and into the village.

Getting a little way into the town before Seto lurched over gripping his chest and hissing in pain you looked around quickly to see what the source was. After confirming it wasn’t a stray arrow or some otherwise visible physical injury you turned your attention to him.

“Hey! What’s wrong!?” You asked.

“I’m fine…” he grit his teeth “just lost a ka is all” he replied like it was nothing.

You didn’t take his fake bravado at face value and looked around spotting what seemed to be the remains of a large temple. It looked Egyptian in construction and markings and must have been a surviving construction from when Egypt controlled Kadesh. While clearly falling into a state of disrepair it offered some much-needed shelter.

“There” you pointed “it’s not ideal but we can lose them in there and at least have a chance of fighting back” you explained.

Not fighting with you he moved the horse in that direction and took off, there were about 5 men behind you and once inside you were forced to ditch the horse. Seto wasn’t doing so well after the hit and you slung his arm around your shoulders supporting him as you moved deeper inside taking a few turns before finding a pillar deep inside to rest again.

He sighed seemingly frustrated and checked his gage. You eyed him carefully deciding against starting an argument until you had the more pressing issue of the soldiers perusing you dealt with. Looking around you called back your ka, you could summon one in here with little issue and with the support and some good luck you should be able to take them on your own. Seto couldn’t afford to summon anything else and as far as fighting went you didn’t fancy betting his life on presuming he could fight knowing he’d be stubborn enough to press on. You were just about to move off and start some hunting of your own when a hand grabbed your wrist and pulled you back.

“Where do you think your going?” He asked.

“To get rid of our problem, you’re in no fit state to fight” you said.

“On your own? That’s a suicide mission there’s too many” he hissed.

“Not if I pick them off, what other option is there? This is war and I have a better chance at taking them down currently” you said.

“No…” he said.

“Excuse me? I wasn’t asking your permission I was telling you what I’m-“ You began ready to snap at him.

“I won’t stand by while someone I care about dies because I wasn’t strong enough!” he snapped at you and you blinked looking at him giving him your full attention.

“Akhenaden will be fine but you need to let me take care of this” you replied after a moment assuming that was who he was worried for, you couldn’t be sure Akhenaden would be fine but if saying it calmed the situation down as he tightened his grip on your wrist as if silently protesting whatever crackpot idea you had come up with.

“I’m not talking about him, I meant you” he ground out.

“… I appreciate your concern” you put your free hand over his, right now you could set aside personal grievances and whatever Seto was babbling on about to just get out of this alive.

“But I’m not some weak girl, your ba gage is critically low, you trained me, you know I can do this I just need you trust me, I’ll come back I promise” you said.

You owed him for having your back on the battlefield regardless and now it was your turn to show you weren’t just a war advisor who sat idly by sending men to death while never getting involved. He seemed reluctant to agree with you but must have known you had little other options available to you. The time you had passed talking it out the soldiers were probably close by now and you really needed to get out there.

“If you don’t… I’ll never forgive you” he warned and slowly loosened his grip on your wrist until you slipped it from his grasp and nodded.

Turning you quickly walked away staying low and keeping as quiet as you could. You had to deal with this quickly so you could get back out into the fight, you also worried about leaving Seto in his condition for too long, if a few of them found him... You didn’t want to think about what you’d return to. Moving on focusing on yourself you could hear voices and footsteps. It was like they weren’t even trying to be discrete. That made it all the easier for you to locate them, they probably thought they had you both pinned in here like caged animals. But even caged animals can bite you though.

Rounding a pillar you pressed your back against it and looked around quickly to see a man moving through seemingly alone. Perfect, moving forward swiftly you took your blade and covered his mouth as you dragged the blade across his neck. Not a pretty death but it would stop him from screaming out. Gurgles were all you heard as he fell to the ground with a thud, your hands now coated in Hittite blood. You couldn’t relax and quickly moved to conceal yourself listening out for the next set of footsteps. Not far off and moving toward the back where you had been hidden first. Prioritising that you moved quickly you mind on nothing but getting rid of the men pursuing you as quickly as possible.

They came into view, two of them and you narrowed your eyes cursing waiting it out for a little longer to see if they would break off. If need be you would take on two at one but you didn’t want to risk it as anything other than a last resort given that you too were now fatigued from fighting. Taking your other blade and turning it in your hand you came up with a strategy. While your only practice had been throwing spears you theorised it would be similar and prayed to the gods it would make it’s mark. Moving out into the open you took a step back and raised the blade above your head before throwing it. It struck one of the men in the bend of his knee not as high as you would’ve liked but it sent him to the ground in pain and distracted the man with him which was all you could’ve asked for.

You took your opportunity not wasting a second as you moved to strike the second man who was confused and trying to help the other soldier. You took him down swiftly making sure he was never going to get up again before moving to pull the blade out of the other man’s leg as he cried out in agony. He put a hand up as if to plead reaching for his own weapon as you looked down at him emotionlessly, it was as if you didn’t even register him as a person as you took his life. Whatever mercy was preached in the palace was lost here, this was war and you had to focus on surviving before others.

With three men down that only left two from the ones that had followed you. You had done this much, it would seem you’d be able to hold up your promise of returning to Seto. The noise of the man crying out in pain would probably attract those left and concealing yourself again in the area you waited listening out carefully. Footsteps eventually were heard but only one man showed up. That made things easier but you were still confused as to why only one showed up after the commotion. No matter you would deal with him then investigate.

Confidence pushing you due to him being alone you rushed him and while he got one good block in it didn’t stop you from ultimately taking the upper hand and increasing the body count to 4. Taking a moment to catch your breath and flicking the blades out to get rid of excess blood coating them you faintly heard splatters before a loud shout followed by screams.

Your blood ran cold as you snapped your head, Seto, you thought the worst as your feet carried you as quickly as you could manage to the source of the sound in the dimly lit crumbling temple. Hearing a thud close by you rounded a final corner and were met with the sight of one body slumped on the floor and the other standing defiantly over it blade raised ready to strike the final blow…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update, I really did plan to have this up a lot sooner but uni deadlines got extended and I needed that extra time to get all that sorted. With that being said I really agonised over this chapter, it serves as the beginning of shit hitting the fan so to speak and now that it's set up chapters should be much easier to write and flow from here on out. I did a lot of research into the battle of Kadesh and while it is a historic battle that took place I don't want anyone to think it's completely factually accurate to it as I'm only using it to base battles and places off loosely. I'm going off events in Seti I's reign for Atem and moving into Ramesses II for Seto. I know people have linked the god Amun to Atem and Set to Seto but it's super interesting when you really get into it and just makes me wish they did more with the ancient Egypt arch. Anyway apologies for the lateness and thanks again for the support and reads, hopefully this kind of makes up for it being a longer chapter than usual.


	15. Chapter 15

The dim light obscured your view and from where you stood you couldn’t tell who was who. Was the figure on the floor Seto or was he the man standing? You couldn’t make out the cerulean blues that would distinguish him and you screamed out stop not knowing who was who and rushing closer. You got closer as the spear was plunged downwards into the figure on the floor. The head of the man snapped up to you and pulled the spear out of the slumped over figure who was now almost certainly dead.

“____, calm down” came the voice you instantly recognised.

You were just so glad to finally make out that Seto was the one standing and he was fine you stopped yourself just short of flinging your arms around him because a somehow more stubborn side of you reminded you this mess was because he launched this whole affair and didn’t deserve any praise or in the moment affection. Clearing your throat you halted just shy of him and the body of the dead Hittite soldier.

“The others?” He asked, his however short break or perhaps the adrenaline of the short battle had seemed to perk him up somewhat from the figure you’d helped in.

“Dealt with” was all you said the adrenaline pushing you on slowly dissipating as the situation dawned on you.

He nodded seemingly relieved at that and took your wrist pulling you back to the entrance as you had now gone silent, complying and following him almost dazed. You could feel the blood on your hands growing cool as the air hit. Once outside the site was seemingly empty. The shouts and din of battle could be heard back towards the riverbank but your eyes were on the horse that you had rode here. The soldiers obviously didn’t want you having an escape route on the off chance you got away, the horse was on its side stomach cut open with insides spilling out onto the sand staining it red.

That was it, you’d seen too much today, you’d taken lives today and the gravity of that made you sick, your knees gave out and you collapsed to the ground wretching as you puked up whatever your last meal had been.

“____!” Seto called and you felt yourself be pulled up by a pair of arms and your hair pulled back from your face.

Once you’d stopped wretching the hysterics started. Beginning with a small groan you morphed into screaming and crying your head unable to reason out what had happened today and adding to the already horrifying image you had of your sister in her final moments. Seto was naturally at a bit of a loss, he’d assumed you’d be well aware of the stakes and what was expected riding into battle. Of course, the first time he’d had to kill someone it had shaken him, but not like this. He was sympathetic toward you to an extent but was also acutely aware that your wailing could attract very unwanted attention.

“____! ____! Listen to me” he said sternly turning you to him and shaking you sharply.

“I need you to hold it together just a little bit longer ok? Can you do that?” He asked.

You sniffed and tried to catch your breath your body feeling weak but you could just about hang onto his words and process the logic in them even if you couldn’t process anything else.

“Y…Yes…” You stammered out.

“Good girl, now come on” he said and taking your wrist led you back down toward the riverside.

He had no intentions of flinging you back into battle now but he also couldn’t run off with you and abandon those still fighting behind him. Thankfully upon reaching the centre of the deserted town he didn’t need to worry as he was met with Egyptian forces most notably headed by the Pharaoh himself.

“Seto” He said like he was relieved halting his horse.

“Pharaoh what are you…?” He began to question.

“I’m putting a stop to this mess, enough people have died on both sides needlessly” he cut him off and answered in a clipped tone.

“Is she alright?” he asked after a moment seeing your state and lack of comment.

“… No” Seto said after taking a look at you and with that comment you finally began speaking trying to defend that you’d be fine.

“You give them your horse” the pharaoh motioned to one of the soldiers who complied “we passed a small village on our way from Tadmor take her there, it won’t be much but it’ll be a place to get your heads down” he said.

“But I can’t possibly-” Seto began before being cut off.

“Seto” the Pharaoh sighed frustrated “I’m not suggesting or asking you to do this, I’m ordering you to, now take this horse and get out of here, myself and the army will not be far behind” The Pharaoh stated narrowing his eyes.

Seemingly floored by that he had little other option than to drag you, with weak protests from you that you could continue to fight, to the horse you’d been offered.

“Look at you, you’re a wreck, this is the Pharaoh’s orders now shut up and get on” he hissed lowly mounting the horse and turning to pull you on.

You swallowed a comment about how he’d refused to listen to the Pharaoh and got you into this mess but your trembling hands betrayed the fact you’d be no use now in battle and begrudgingly you accepted his hand and forced yourself onto the horses back.

“Be safe my Pharaoh” you offered.

“Do not look so upset _____, you’ve done very well today” he offered you before continuing on, no time to waste comforting you.

With the conversation finished Seto watched him for a moment before turning and whipping the horse into action. You were silent once more holding on lightly as you watched the sights and sands that had passed you just earlier that day whip past you again. 

The journey took what you estimated to be just under an hour before a village came into view. A few people watched, the horse and your attire signified you as part of the Egyptian army so naturally people moved out of your way, especially when they saw the blood on you. Seto took care of most things as you stood about feeling useless and dazed. It was like none of this was really happening, his voice as he got a stable boy to look after the horse seemed a million miles away and you only felt dragged back to the ground a bit when his hand took your wrist and pulled you towards an inn. The owner perked up hastily moving to get you a room, no payment was even discussed as you had little on you to trade and your connection to the palace meant you were ushered in with few questions.

The room was smaller than those in the palace and he looked around like being in it displeased him. Overall you could see it was clean and neat, in your current mindset you didn’t care much where you were. After forcing you to sit down on the bed which you half registered was a double and the only one in the room he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I’m going to head out and get us some clothes and food, stay put alright?” He said.

You couldn’t stop the anxiety that swirled at the thought of being left alone but simply nodded, your black attire didn’t show the blood splattered on you but his white and cerulean blues showed it up plain as day, it would need washed out, if it could even be washed out you weren’t sure.

He left without another word leaving you to wrap your arms around your legs and pull them closer. You used to spend your life in a room like this and all of a sudden it felt very claustrophobic as you shut your eyes trying to force the images of the day from your mind. You weren’t really sure how much time had passed, voices and footsteps outside the door notified you that people were passing through the building. The door however never opened and your gaze moved between being fixed on it and on nothing in particular as you attempted to fixate on thoughts of nothing, blank rooms with no features that you could get lost in but which just kept morphing to include blood spatters and dead soldiers. The image of your sister flashed up between all the gore and after what seemed like hours the door was opened and your eyes flickered over to see Seto entering.

He had two piles of linen under his arm and his hands carried food and what seemed to be ale. Setting the items down his gaze returned to you and he sighed not saying anything as he left again, not ten minutes later he returned carrying a large basin of water.

“Come on” he said to you “you need to wash that filth off you” he added.

You only really half heard him and when you made no move to do as he had asked he faltered at the door a look of frustration on his features. He moved after a moment crossing the room and taking your arm coaxing you up. You slowly stood being guided by him over to the bathroom. He had used some of the water to fill a small bucket and seeing your once again muted state he took your arms in his hands standing behind you and plunging them into the water.

The feeling of the liquid made you recoil a bit, reminded of how the blood had felt when it first hit your hands. The disgust was quickly set aside however as his hands moved up and down your arms washing away the traces of battle with each swipe. You focused on the feeling of his hands on yours intertwining his fingers with yours. It calmed you, quite a lot, but once you had come back to earth somewhat you gently moved his hands away and began to scrub the rest of yourself.

“I’m alright now…” You uttered quietly.

He gave you no response and simply backed away letting you do as you pleased. You heard the rustle of fabric and looking over your shoulder you saw him strip down and use the rest of the water to clean himself dumping half a bucket on his hair before slicking it back out of his face.

He moved past you drying himself off and when he returned it was to hand you a dull looking tunic dress. He seemed to have a similar one on, it reminded you vaguely of the training tunic he had but even that had been made from finer materials. You hadn’t worn something like this in years, since you were a child really. You wordlessly took it and once you’d cleaned yourself off and drained the water you slipped it on. It was a bit baggy, but it was clean from blood and that was all that mattered.

You moved back into the room and sat on the bed putting a hand to your head and sighing in frustration closing your eyes. You felt a weight settle beside you and when you opened your eyes you were met with two blue ones staring back at you. He seemed to be unsure of what to say or maybe he was waiting on you speaking but either way you had enough of your wits about you to finally get some questions asked.

“I want answers Seto, I want to know what the hell that was or why you thought such a doomed plan could ever work, is your ego so untouchable that you think you alone can take on an army without support?” You asked, there would’ve been more anger to your tone had you not been so utterly drained.

“Of course I knew” he responded, less venom in his tone than expected, he sounded just as tired as you.

“Then why? Why gods why did you do it?” You asked, you wanted to rationalise it, to have any excuse, but you couldn’t, nothing about this made sense to you.

“… It wasn’t my idea” he said at last “of course I was of the opinion that we needed to do something about the Hittites but not like this” he explained “I’d expressed these wishes to Akhenaden, I even spoke of doing something with or without the Pharaoh’s consent” he sighed.

“Well you’ve certainly gone against him now” you quipped.

“I didn’t want to do this and to begin with Akhenaden actually discouraged me, but he later… changed, he became obsessed with the idea of recapturing Kadesh, I tried to talk him out of it but he wouldn’t listen, I went with him in the hopes I could change his mind before a war broke out” he continued.

“Wait… So this was all Akehanden’s idea? But why?” You were somehow even more confused, you’d been under the impression that Seto had cooked this up and convinced Akhenaden to go along but it seemed you had it backwards, Seto glared at no particular spot on the floor like he was finding it difficult to speak about all of this.

“Even I can’t work that out” he responded.

“But if you couldn’t talk him out of it why not bring it up before he even mobilised troops and left?” You had to question his judgement, he could’ve tried to talk him out of it and still stopped this.

“… If I told the court his plan… He’d be cast out of the court at best or executed at worst, given what he was trying to do I was inclined to lean towards the latter, if I was in the Pharaoh’s position it’s the decision I would’ve made had someone gone against me” he sighed “when I came to the courts… I don’t know why but he took me in and taught me everything… I couldn’t just… turn him over like some criminal” he grit his teeth.

You didn’t agree but given how level your conversation had been with Seto despite how complicit he had been you supposed you were in a similar situation. Despite it all would you really have turned Seto over if it could mean his death? Probably not.

“…That seems like a sentence you both may face now” you said and groaned covering your face with your hands again as your head pounded.

The pain thumped against your skull and you were irritated that your questions had given you little solid answers. You fell backwards against the bed and stared at the ceiling.

“I need a drink or _something_ ” you announced to the room, he had brought some form of alcohol in right?

“…Are you sure that’s wise?” He asked looking down at you.

“and what else would you suggest? Am I not allowed to drink my sorrows away given what I’ve been through?” You all but snapped back.

“I may have one better idea” he offered.

“Please, do share with me Priest” you responded dryly.

“Well that all depends on how much you feel like continuing to avoid me” he said.

That statement made you prop yourself up on your elbows and raise an eyebrow, when he made no effort to respond or explain you sighed.

“My head is splitting, I have more questions than I have answers and every time I try to stop thinking I’m reminded I murdered more men than I care to put a number to, I would rather feel _anything_ than what I currently am” you emphasised the anything portion.

“You were defending yourself ____, don’t call it murder when that isn’t what it was, if you need someone to blame for the bloodshed then blame me” he said shifting on the bed moving to where he was practically hovering over you.

Looking up at him tight lipped you were content to take him up on the offer of shoving all blame onto him. If it meant you had an outlet for some of the anger you currently had then that would surely be better than bottling it. Though that option too was taken from you as he brushed a few loose strands of still damp hair from your face and leaned down closing what little distance there was between you.

The kiss was hesitant on your part for a moment before you allowed yourself to fully be swept up in the moment and enjoy it. You had asked for some kind of distraction and this was a much better one than the alternative you had. It also struck you that despite your attempts to push it aside you had truly missed this. Granted you didn’t have any long-term relationship to get attached to it was still just… nice?

He pulled back looking down at you and you, stripped of any protests you may have had or snarky comments you would’ve made under different circumstances, just stared back.

“Still over thinking?” He asked.

“You aren’t so good at kissing you can turn my mind blank Seto” you replied.

Seemingly not impressed with your answer he offered no response and moved again pushing himself up and taking up a spot on the floor notably between your legs.

Leaning on your forearms and giving him yet another confused look he was still silent giving you no explanation or indication as he moved one of your legs over your shoulders. The short, flimsy dress you wore was all you had on and given the position you were now in everything must be on display.

You were about to move to pull your dress down, attempt to cover yourself or get away when a strong hand gripped your thigh and lips met the skin of your inner thigh. Going wide eyed you stilled watching to see what his next move would be. The fleeting kisses moved further up each brush of his lips leaving the area tingling as his free hand slid up your other thigh right towards...

He wasn’t... was he...? Whatever previous woes and thoughts you had dulled considerably as fingertips teased you coming close to where you now silently pleaded to be touched but never quite reaching it.

The light teasing brushes were almost torturous and while you didn’t allow yourself to say anything outwardly the writhing your body went through and the way your hips shamelessly moved seeking out his touch gave you away countless times over.

Finally his hand moved, fingertips trailing over your clit and down towards your entrance before he slowly pushed a long slender finger deep inside you. You managed to keep down any noises letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. As he began thrusting his finger in and out with a steady motion your breathing shallowed, letting your head fall back and focusing on the feeling.

He had a point this was much better than getting blackout drunk, as a second finger was added you couldn’t hold back a quiet moan, the same pace was resumed causing your hips to rock slightly into his hand seeking out the pleasure he was giving you. You moved again trying to sit up your leg sliding from his shoulder to rest against the end of the bed and you reached a hand down to stop him, a thought that you should be doing something other than laying there and doing nothing but enjoy clear in your head.

Before you could move to change the positions or do anything a strong hand pressed you back down into the bed. He looked at you and you, once again were left confused.

“You didn’t want to think about anything so just lay back and relax” he said.

“But I need to-“ you began.

“You don’t _need_ to do anything, let me do this for you” he ground out, removing his fingers to pull your hips into a better position hiking the already short dress up for more manoeuvrability to work with. 

Floored by the statement, a man giving pleasure to a woman and expecting nothing for it, or just to do it for her benefit was so lost on you in your lifetime that you could do little but comply and lay back and let out a breath calming your nerves and need to ‘perform’, this wasn’t a client it was Seto and that was somehow different you told yourself. Rather than his fingers re-entering you and continuing to bring you closer to an inevitable climax a different feeling altogether hit you trailing from your entrance all the way up to your clit. Your head shot up to confirm that he had lowered his head and was using his tongue now rather than his fingers and the view of that alone was enough to get you off. One hand gripped the thin sheet of the bed under you the other moved to thread through his hair still damp but you didn’t care, just the contact to know he was here with you was enough.

As his tongue circled your clit and flicked over it your hips bucked slightly, brows knitted as you moaned. You mind was definitely blank now thinking of nothing but the feeling the act was currently giving you. You could feel yourself getting closer but when he re-entered his fingers you were done for.

“…Gods…” You uttered out breathlessly between your moans.

You felt his lips quirk up into what you were sure was a smirk against you but he didn’t let up, curling his fingers and hitting you just right paired with the stimulation of his tongue drove you to climax faster than you’d like to admit. Your shallow breaths became needy pants as you gripped her hair and called his name against all better judgement.

Your body quivered as your climax washed over you, leaving you a jittering mess. Slowly your hips lowered as your body relaxed collapsing against the bed exhausted now as you caught your breath. You felt him pull back his own breathing short, removing his fingers and stand to go somewhere. You hazily watched as he walked off hearing water, you assumed he was washing his hands and stilled your anxiety about him disappearing again.

When he returned to you and lay next to you, you turned your back now over your high reminding yourself that you were meant to still be angry at him, for before, for the battle, but when a strong arm snaked around your waist and pulled your back flush against his chest those negative feelings all but scattered. You put a hand lightly on the arm that held you, to tired to try and fight off how much you really did feel for the priest holding you in his arms. You reminded yourself of that, how he’d aided you today despite your chill attitude, how he’d helped you when you’d all but broken down and now how safe he made you feel in his arms.

Sleep was not long coming to either of you, battle weary from the day and spent from your ‘distraction’ your sleep was more peaceful that you had expected it to be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow wow wow, once again I'm late who would've guessed. I've had this mostly written for a good while but the last scene just really had me blocked, I kept chopping and changing it so I hope it's finally something worth reading lmao.   
> I think boxing myself to weekly uploads may be a bit of a stretch but I will try my best and from here on out I have the rest planned out so in theory it shouldn't be hard to just write it out since I know where it's going.   
> Work has been kicking my ass lately but I'm determined to get this finished when I've gotten this far. I've written bits and pieces before that have got to about 14k on a word count and I thought that was long.... hahaha. Originally this was going to be around 20 chapters? But I'm almost certain it'll stretch past that now. Thanks again for the reads and continued support guys it's a really massive motivator.


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